


Get Home

by TeamScienceMegaNerds



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, also treason is a very serious crime, but then it's not, sometimes, this is kinda like a body guard AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2019-12-26 01:48:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 42,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18273323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeamScienceMegaNerds/pseuds/TeamScienceMegaNerds
Summary: Exactly two days after moving to National City, Lena Luthor is escorted to an underground facility to be convinced by two very unconvincing agents that her best options in this situation include a) becoming a walking talking puppet for the DEO and b) putting her own life on the line to destroy the negative attributions to the Luthor name. She’s not entirely surprised by the unwelcome pressure, but she is interested in finding out more about the doctor who seems to love hanging out in the DEO labs.orAlex is trying to be a lab geek very quietly, but the storm that is Lena Luthor disrupts her whole life, and now Alex is pretty sure she's committing treason.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Lena/Alex fic, so I guess I'm just diving in. 
> 
> 1\. Aliens exist, but Kara isn't one.  
> 2\. Lena is a mess.  
> 3\. I will write Lucy Lane into every one of my fics, fight me about it (but also don't)

Lena is ordering a coffee - black, three sugars, iced - when it happens. She’s trying to see if this particular cafe has hopped on the paper straw train, and she’s almost surprised that they have, but then she remembers the barista’s tattoos and tie-dye Earth Day shirt, and it all seems to track nicely in her mind. And, really, she’s trying not to be judgemental, because that would be the irony of all ironies, and she’s trying to quell that particular habit. It’s only fair. 

 

About halfway to an empty table, Lena sees them. They’re in line chatting, looking like any other suit on their lunch break, and to the untrained eye, they look fairly average. But Lena has a trained eye, from all those pesky assassination attempts, and she takes a quick mental note of the slight bulge at the side of their hips as they move forward in line. Lena doesn’t even bother pulling out the book she brought with her. Instead, she pulls out her phone, snaps a picture of them, and sends it to her private email. Just in case. 

 

The fact that the pair actually buy coffee, comes as a shock. But, it’s certainly possible that shooting a gun with only one hand is an easy feat when you’re as skilled as most assassins. With their coffees in hand, the pair approached Lena. If she had time to run or shout, she would’ve, but instead, one of them slides into the seat across from her and smiles. “Ms. Luthor?” Lena looks at the woman in front of her. She looks smaller sitting, but still confident, Lena looks around the cafe. No one even notices her, she has no allies here, just herself. Like always. 

 

“Not sure I should answer that.” Lena tosses her phone in her bag, zips it, and is about to stand when the woman leans forward. 

 

“Let’s start this off right.” The woman extends her hand. “I’m Lucy.” If this is a game, then Lucy is fantastic at playing, but Lena refuses to be outdone. Lena shakes Lucy’s hand, before glancing over at the man. “This is Hank. He’s shy.” The man rolls his eyes. “We were wondering if we could talk to you. One on one, about your work.”

 

“Two on one.” Lena corrects. “And I haven’t actually started working yet.” 

 

“Right, well...what’s the harm in a conversation?” Lucy relaxes in her seat. “I swear, I’ve got some great stuff to tell you. Cool stuff to show you too.” Hank hasn’t blinked once, and Lena is starting to lose her nerve. She deeply regrets leaving her hotel today, and frankly, if these two are going to take her out to pasture, she’ll regret not treating herself to one of those giant cookies sitting in the glass case at the counter. 

 

“We can’t talk here?”

 

“No.”

 

“You’re not giving me much to go on, Lucy.” 

 

“Look...my friends, they wanted to do an A.A.P. Do you know what that is?” Lena shakes her head. “Asset Acquisition Procedure. It’s when six people enter your home, bind and gag you, and then they bring you in that way.” Lucy takes a sip of her coffee. “Wow, this is good. Hank, have you tried your coffee? Shit’s amazing.” Lucy takes another sip before clearing her throat. “The point is, Ms. Luthor. I’m not asking you anything. I’m telling you that we’re gonna have a chat. Now, come with us.” 

 

Lena doesn’t like being bullied, but she knows power when she sees it, and these two have power. So, Lena does the only thing she can do. She stands up and follows the pair out of the cafe, and to an unmarked SUV parked in front. Hank gets in the driver’s seat, and Lucy gets into the backseat beside Lena. Tense is an understatement. Hank’s silence is more unnerving than Lucy’s banter, but all Lena can think about is how stupid she was to expect more of this city. 

 

Hope had always been a fleeting thing for Lena. Sometimes she had it, sometimes she was determined to bury it, but right now with the way day two in National City was going, she was certain that all hope was lost. “You like the desert?” Lucy asks. Lena adverts her eyes over to Lucy, who’s looking back at her. 

 

“Not particularly.” And that’s the truth. She has always been a city girl at heart. Big buildings, getting lost in crowds, she lived for those brief escapes. Sweaty bars and penthouses were her home. Not a place like this. Anything could happen out here. Anything or anyone could be buried out here. 

 

“Me neither. Lucky for you we keep a steady flow of agents between two bases. Our meetings can be in the city if you’d like.” Whatever the hell Lucy is talking about, Hank doesn’t seem to like it, but Lucy continues on nonetheless. “What do you think of National City so far? I miss that good ol’ Metropolis chill sometimes.” 

 

“I haven’t been here long enough to form an opinion,” Lena tells her, even though that’s not true. She has all sorts of opinions about the city. It’s quieter than Metropolis, the food has an original flare to it - or at least all of the takeout she’s gotten does - and people don’t always recognize her. That’s her favorite part so far. 

 

Hank pulls into an underground garage that’s connected to the strangest looking building Lena has ever seen. Something jutting out of a giant mountain is pretty much the gist of the landscape, but as she studies the high-security parking lot they’ve just entered, the pieces start to fall into place. A few, well-built, people enter a code before two giant steel doors open and give way to a vast open space filled with monitors, high tech equipment, and more people. “Hank, I’ll take her in. Meet you at 24A.” Lucy motions for Lena to exit the SUV, but Lucy is quickly at her side grabbing hold of her arm and leading her into the building. 

 

Lena is...awestruck, and it probably shows. “Agent Winters, escort Ms. Luthor to 24A, please.” Lena feels like a slab of meat, being tossed between the dogs, all while the other dogs - in tactical gear - unsubtly stare at her as she walks by. Agent Winters is built like an Ox, but his eyes are kind enough to give Lena some sense of stability. 

 

The conference room looks just like any other conference room. No weapons are laid out on the table, no guns pointed at her head, this is all going so much better than she thought it would. “Should I just sit here?” Agent Winters stands at the door like he’s keeping watch, and Lena feels like she needs to get something out of him before Lucy and Hank start dominating the space again. “Can I get some water or something?” 

 

“Of course.” Agent Winters leaves without hesitating. Lena briefly considers how far she would get if she ran, and her guess is three - maybe four - feet. So instead, Lena studies her surroundings. She’s obviously in some kind of underground agencies’ base. Lucy used the word “agent”, so this was probably a national organization, if not international. Usually, Lena consulted her PR rep or lawyer, or...fucking Google to help her figure out what to do, but right now she was on her own, and she could not start things like this. 

 

Movement from the room across the hall caught her attention. A woman, wearing the same uniform as everyone else, except with a lab coat thrown over it, hustles into the lab. Her hair catches Lena’s attention, the buzzed undercut gives way to the messy hair on the top of her head. She looks like she’s just rolled out of bed, and something about the entire situation is incredibly distracting, if not off-putting. And then Lucy and Hank enter the room and swallow up all of her attention again. “Ms. Luthor, thank you for joining us.” It takes a second for Lena to register that Hank is speaking. His voice is calm, soothing even. “We will be sure to get you back to your normal routine as soon as possible.” 

 

“Is this a joke? You practically kidnapped me.” Lena crosses her hands over her chest. “You want something from me, that much is obvious.” 

 

“We’re a private organization, we couldn’t discuss this in public.” Lucy pulls out a stack of files and slides them across the table to Lena. “We’re here to discuss a partnership.” Lena scoffs, which wipes the smile clear off Lucy’s face. “Take a look.” Lena doesn’t. 

 

“What kind of partnership?”

 

“Mutually beneficial, we were hoping.” Hank motions to the files. “Those are our media contacts. NCI, Geek Week, Catco...we’ve got someone everywhere” Hank clears his throat. “Okay, let’s be frank.”

 

“Please.” Lena uncrosses her arms and waits. 

 

“People are skeptical about the new LuthorCorp branch in National City. The think your family is dangerous, and by ‘your family’, I do mean you.” Hank lets those words sink in, and then continues, “In three days you will start working as the CEO, and if you want control of the shitstorm that will inevitably be coming your way, you need a way to control the narrative.” 

 

“What do you get out of this?” Lena has been asking that exact question for her entire life. From partners in the bedroom and in business, she knows things are never this easy. Lena knows that they wouldn’t go out of their way unless they really did need her. And like it or not, the power came easy with Luthors, and Lena was betting on it to survive. “Don’t tell me you care about me enough to protect my reputation.” 

 

“We don’t.” Lucy trades glances with Hank. “But the anti-alien sentiment is increasing everywhere, not just in Metropolis. And paranoia doesn’t make our jobs easier. We need to keep these tensions contained, and that means a good redemption arc for you.” 

 

“You want a puppet.”

 

“A partner. Like we said.” Hank opens one of the files and pulls out a thick bound stack of papers. “This is a contract, detailing our agreement. We have no control over LuthorCorp’s assets, goals, mission. We simply work with your Public Relations department, your speechwriter, and security. We want this to work for both of us, your success makes our lives easier.”

 

“You’re taking a huge risk here.”

 

“We’re not business people.” Lucy places a pen on top of the contract. “We won’t pressure you here. This would never work without you actually valuing what this can do for your career. Consider it-.”

 

“I’ll do it.” Hank and Lucy look up, surprised. “But I have stipulations. I want to choose the agents who work with my people, I get the final say, and I get a liaison.”

 

“Done.” Lena grabs the pen and contract, and signs. She’s being reckless, she knows that, but they’re offering her something it would take ten years to work toward. Contacts are valuable, and Lena desperately needs them. “Well, all we need is quick blood work, a few more signatures, and that’s that.”

 

“Blood work?” 

 

“Nothing too invasive. It’s procedure.” Lena bites her tongue and goes with it. “Let’s get Danvers here.” Lucy touches something in her ear, probably a communications device, and turns away. 

 

“Danvers, we could use you for blood work...you can finish your little experiment later...fine, Colt can do it.” Lucy stands, and motions for Lena to do the same. They walk across the hall, and Lena is thankful that she gets a better look at the lab. It’s neatly organized, everything is meticulously color coded too. Lena watches as the woman she was watching earlier completely ignores her, while an eager looking scrawny man approaches. “Colt, you got this?” 

 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

 

“Fucking stop calling me ma’am.” Lucy snaps. “Do her bloodwork fast, and get her a ride back to the city, wherever she wants to go.” 

 

“Yes, ma’am-Lucy. Yes, Lucy.” Lena smirks, as Colt tries not to piss his pants. Lena is lead to bed, and she allows herself to be lead through the motions. Lena simply cannot stop looking at the other woman in the room. Danvers, was it? She’s totally in the zone, totally unbothered by Lena’s presence. It’s frustrating how much this Danvers woman doesn’t seem to care about her. And, Colt? He can’t find her vein for shit, and Lena is really close to doing her own blood work - it’s not like she hasn’t checked and rechecked her ancestry - but then Colt just groans. “Yo, Danvers, a little help.” 

 

Danvers doesn’t look happy, but she walks over, grabs Lena’s arm, and looks into her eyes for a brief moment, “You’re not scared, are you?” Lena shakes her head ‘no’ before Danvers quickly sticks the needle into her arm. It hurts. Like really hurts, and Lena suspects that’s simply because Danvers is such a distraction that Lena forgot to brace herself. It’s all over as quickly as it began, and as she’s getting a cotton ball and band-aid from Colt, Danvers jabs him in the arm. “Fucking take a class, rookie.” And it's...remarkably endearing. These two must work together a lot because a casual laugh is shared between them with ease. 

 

“Fuck off, Alex.” 

 

“Fucking off now.” Alex. That suits her, and even though Alex is now across the room, ignoring Lena’s presence again, Lena continues to watch her. 

 

“I’ll need a ride home,” Lena says, as she stands, and tries her best to look comfortable and confident, even though she’s just signed over her soul to a top secret organization. “Is that something either of you can help with?” 

 

“Um…” Alex turns on a swivel chair and taps a pen against her chin for a moment. “Yeah, I’ll get Vasquez on it.” Lena doesn’t know or care who this Vasquez person is, all she wants to do is stay in this room, and find out more about this Alex character. She’s different than everyone she’s encountered here. Everyone else has either been on the offense to show Lena where or place is or teetering around defensively. Alex hasn’t, and Lena would love to know why. 

 

Lena does know how these organizations work. They recruit specialists, brilliant minds, ex-military jarheads. And the vetting process is tough because they have to weed out the weak ones. So, where does this woman fit in? 

 

Frankly, Lena is not used to being the curious one. People have tried to hack her more times than she can remember, but Lena usually loves the distance. Now? Lena is excited about the prospects. This woman could be anyone, with any views, with any kind of family. It wasn’t so much that she cared about the details, she just needed an ally, a real one. 

 

* * *

 

Alex isn’t sure that it’s a good idea to give her sister power tools. She trusts her, of course, but she doesn’t know if deadlines and coffee are doing Kara any good. It pains her to watch Kara take on such a huge project alone. With Alex’s long hours, she can’t do much outside of reviewing contracts, calculating costs, and providing quick moral support. But right now, she’s doing her best not to take the circular saw out of Kara’s hand and is instead admiring the new merchandise that’s stacked side by side against the wall. “Pac-man?” 

 

“Of course.” Kara grins. Alex walks over and studies the brand new arcade games. “We’re just waiting on pinball, the hockey table, and Street Fighter.” Kara looks at her work at the bar. Nearly done. Alex is impressed. When Kara first started talking about opening a bar-cade, Alex was skeptical. But Kara loves creating a community around herself, and this was certainly going to do it. “So, how was work?”

 

“Boring.” 

 

“Nothing good happened? You always say it’s boring.” 

 

“Something interesting happened, but that’s need to know.” Alex didn’t particularly like lying to Kara. But there was no way she could tell her that she worked for a secret organization with a sole mission of capturing and detaining aliens. Not when her sister was actively pro-alien. Not when Alex has experimented on aliens to figure out more humane ways to subdue them. Alex had stepped back from the field, she’d tried to be moderate, and less physically involved, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t a part of everything the DEO was doing. Knowing the truth would ruin everything they’ve built over the last eight years, and Alex was not ready for that. “Compared to a wicked cool barcade, my job is shit.” 

 

“You need to relax. Do something fun maybe.” 

 

“I’ll play Pac-man when it’s up and running.” Alex sticks her hands into her pockets. “I’m not working myself to death, I swear. I feel like I’m doing important work, and I don’t want to stop feeling that way.” 

 

“All I’m saying is that you need to take care of yourself.” 

 

“Hm...this sounds oddly familiar-.”

 

“Yes, mom called. Yes, I’m relaying the message. But I’m allowed to love you, okay.” Kara tosses Alex a wood sanding block, which she catches with ease. “Help me with this.” Sanding is something Alex is good at. It’s mindless work, but it’s progress. 

 

“Lucy’s in town.” Kara stops sanding suddenly, eyes darting to Alex. This probably wouldn’t go well. It’s not that Kara is holding a grudge, because Kara doesn’t do grudges. But she does care about honesty. And even though they’d all grown up together, Lucy virtually disappeared from their lives as soon as they graduated high school. Lucy was a year between each of them, but she was miles away years before college. Lucy had, of course, been close to Kara. Everyone is always close to Kara. But Alex would’ve considered Lucy a friend, that is until she went running off to West Point fully immersed in military life like some kind of weird carbon copy of her father. 

 

That is until six months ago. Lucy showed up at the DEO, in uniform and ready to work. Alex had been tripping over herself trying to avoid Lucy’s gaze. But Lucy was standing in front of her locker that very afternoon, a sly smile on her face. I could spot that mean mug from a mile away. 

 

Alex, at least, hadn’t given in. Lucy was a master manipulator, and Alex wasn’t ready for her games, not ever. So, instead of joining the other agents for happy hour drinks, Alex kept her distance. Kept things light, but not friendly enough to even get Lucy’s new number. But over the past few weeks, Lucy had reminded Alex of their youth. All smiles and sheer determination, Lucy was a wrecking ball, and Alex couldn’t handle the damage for much longer. 

 

“Lucy? Lane?”

 

“Yeah.” 

 

“How was seeing her?” 

 

“Too early to say.” Alex keeps sanding if only to avoid Kara’s gaze. 

 

“How early is early?”

 

“She’s been here six months. Working with me, technically.” Alex obviously didn’t think this through, but at least Kara didn’t have a power tool in her hand. “I didn’t tell you because I needed time to adjust. If I said something earlier, you’d have invited her out with us, and really...it’s taken a while for hello to feel normal.” 

 

“I’m a big girl.” _No, you’re not_ Alex thinks, but she’ll never say it. She’ll never remind Kara that the reason her life has been so simple is that Alex is always standing in the way of the hard things. “How is she?” 

 

“Not sure, really.” 

 

“You haven’t asked?” 

 

“I don’t want to.” The other thing that Kara should never know is how close Alex and Lucy had gotten right before Alex was heading off to college. Staying up all night, breaking all the rules, smoking anything they could get their hands on. Not quite the awakening Alex had intended, but it was certainly something. Those days shaped Alex’s college years, and half the reason she could barely talk to Lucy was that she didn’t want Lucy figuring out how much Alex had missed her. 

 

“I don’t get how you can be so closed off from everything.”

 

“Easy.” Lie. “Can’t you get Winnie to do this? Manual labor is not my jam.”

 

“I’ve got him on speed dial, but he deserves some time for himself before things get super hectic.” Kara places her hand on top of Alex’s. “Go home, Alex.” 

 

“I’m not leaving you here. Alone. At night.” Kara rolls her eyes. “Fine, but call me at appropriate intervals.” Alex grabs her jacket and slings it over her shoulders. “The place looks wonderful.” Kara grins at the compliment. “I’m proud of you.” 

 

“You are?”

 

“Duh.” Alex heads for the door, throwing a wave over her shoulder, as she gets on the bike, and heads home. Alex pours herself a finger of whiskey before she even takes off her jacket. Being around Kara, and admitting things about her life, flared up her anxiety in ways that she’d never really experienced much anymore. But it was always Kara who caused her to feel shy, detached. Maybe it was because telling Kara one thing could always lead to more revelations. And soon, Alex would be nothing but a puddle of all the secrets she had, and Kara would really have to know her for the first time. 

 

Alex was not ready for that. Not ready to be judged like that, so Alex will just fold into herself, lay the bricks that make up her walls. And fucking live with it. 

 

Boredom and curiosity were a terrible combination, and the - now two - glasses of whiskey weren’t doing her any favors. But Alex could blame those factors tomorrow, as she stumbled upon article after article about Lena Luthor. Alex had been curious when Lucy mentioned that they would be bringing her in, but she didn’t think that she would actually have to interact with her. Alex knew the general run down - shitty family, wealthy as hell, probable anti-alien views - but something about all that just...didn’t sit right with her. 

 

For one, Ms. Luthor was the least intimidating person she’d ever seen. It was the dynamic duo of uncertainty paired with somber eyes that gave Alex that impression, but she was almost certain that she was right. Alex isn’t one to give someone the benefit of the doubt, but with so much weighing against her, how could Lena Luthor become anything but bitter? Angry? And scared?

 

What the DEO wanted with her, Alex didn’t know. Why she agreed to work with them, Alex didn’t know that either. But if there was even the slightest chance that they would cross paths again, Alex wanted to be ready to talk about...animal shelters? Youth organizations? The more Alex continued to look, the more she uncovered about Lena, and this woman was like the queen of charities. Her quotes in articles were almost always skewed, but in video interviews, she was much warmer. Genuine. Not whatever mask she’d been wearing that day. 

 

Alex didn’t care enough to get involved in the politics of it all, but she does care enough to prove Kara wrong. Maybe Lena Luthor wasn’t quite the monster that everyone believed her to be. Fuck it, Alex thinks, as she downs her next drink. She’s gonna find out. 

 

* * *

 

Lena is bordering on furious the next time she comes to the DEO. Even her excitement about getting to go to the city base is ruined by the fact that Alex Danvers seems to be nowhere in sight. A quick online search yielded almost no results, except that Ms. Danvers had exceptional grades at Johns Hopkins, and that she had an Instagram - one that Lena refused to look at because she really didn’t want to accidentally like something. And Lena chided herself on this mild obsession and decided that everything would feel much less creepy if she just found a way to talk to her. That, of course, would be much easier if Alex was present, but right now she’s stuck in a room listening to Lucy go over the corrections to her speech. “Ms. Luthor, am I boring you?”

 

“Yes.” Lena doesn’t actually mean to say that aloud, but she stands by her words for the sake of her image. “I don’t see why I needed to come all the way down here for this. I have a perfectly reliable email address.”

 

“This is about creating a strong relationship between LuthorCorp and our organization. This isn’t all smoke and mirrors, it should be real.” Lucy grinds her teeth together for a moment. “Do you know the online media outlet The Right Rights?” 

 

“No, and that’s a ridiculous name.” 

 

“Agreed, but they’re important. They have this weekly segment, where one of their journalists takes the biggest interviews, speeches, videos of the week, and analyzes the microexpressions. He can tell if you’re bullshitting, and so what if it’s bullshit, they get a million views per episode, so I need you to value these meetings. Now.” Lucy drums her pen against the table. “This speech is an onslaught. It’s too much all at once.” 

 

“I can’t sugarcoat, that’s not my style.” 

 

“It should be. People aren’t going into this wanting to believe in you. What they want is for you to get down on your knees and beg for forgiveness.” 

 

“Well, they can choke.”

 

“No doubt, but if we’re gonna do this, we’ll do it the right way.” Lucy scribbles out a few more lines on the document, before waving Agent Winters into the room. “Hey, get Vasquez to bring in the outfit selections.” Lena leans back in her chair and groans. Lucy’s more amused than she should be. “It’s a process.” 

 

“You do know that I haven’t even had the chance to spend more than five minutes in my new apartment.”

 

“This is the hardest part, we promise to be much more accommodating in the future. Especially when you make your committee selections.” Winters returns a few minutes later, with a short woman, sporting a medium textured haircut, and a remarkably unexpressive gaze. “Vasquez, this is Ms. Luthor.” 

 

“Nice to meet you, ma’am.” Vasquez pulls in a freestanding clothes rack, with a series of business casual outfits hanging on it. 

 

“Sorry, are you seriously picking out my outfits?” 

 

“ _We_ are picking out your outfits. Consider us a part of your style team.” Lucy glances down at her all-black attire. “Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.” 

 

Lena stands and looks through the clothes. They’re not terrible, but they are distinctly plainer than what she’s used to, she doesn’t quite know where to begin. “Well, dresses are a no.” 

 

“I agree.” Lucy takes a few dresses off the rack and tosses them on the table. “I’m partial to a pencil skirt. It reads well for you. Sexy, but professional. A woman ready to take on the world.” Lucy ponders for a second. “I think you should go with a light top, dark skirt. It’s more dynamic, gives you the bridging gaps, leaning toward diversity thing.” 

 

“We should go bold,” Vasquez adds, pulling out a few of the more eccentric fashion print tops. 

 

“That one would make me look like a walking acid trip. I think a darker top works better with my speech. I’m not destroying the system, I’m supporting it.” Lena grabs a maroon blouse and holds it up for them to see. 

 

“Too sexy.” 

 

“I’ll button it all the way to the top,” Lena suggests. 

 

“Not sexy enough.” Lucy takes the blouse out of Lena’s hand and places it back on the rack. “Pastel, maybe.” 

 

“Fuck no.” Lena crosses her arms over her chest. She’s not going to be morphed into a soccer mom, not today, not ever. This was going nowhere fast, and really the best option might just be-

 

“Alex! Get in here.” Lena looks over just in time to see Alex walking by in her lab coat, carrying a giant pile of binders. She nudges the door open with her foot, with no help from Agent Winters, who has been no help this entire time. Alex slides the binders on the table and lets out a breath. 

 

“Why are there so many stairs in this building?” 

 

“So we can watch agents trip on the steps every day.” Lucy jabs her finger toward the clothes rack. “Help us, please.” 

 

“What am I…” Alex only now seems to notice her, and as the whole situation comes into focus, she gives Lena a welcoming nod. “This is for LuthorCorp’s big National City ceremony?” 

 

“We’re having a bit of a Virgin-Whore situation here.” Lena slumps back into her seat. “And I’d really like to go home.”

 

“You and the rest of us.”

 

“Shut the fuck up, Winters,” Vasquez says, and from the smirk on his face, Lena is assured that this is just normal banter. Alex pulls off her lab coat, and Lena is momentarily sent down a black hole of confusion because Alex is wearing street clothes. A band shirt tucked into black jeans, with cozy looking boots on her feet, she seems just as out of place as Lena feels, but absolutely no one bats an eye at her. 

 

“Pick a color any color,” Lucy says. 

 

“Blue.” Alex sounds committed to it, so before vetoing anything, Lena waits for an explanation. “It represents fluidity, soft, yet hopeful.” Alex grabs a sleeveless blouse and holds it up for Lena to see. “People are gonna talk no matter what, but you can’t go too conservative with what you wear. This is your message right here. Freedom and justice for all.” 

 

“I like the way you think.” Lena takes the shirt from Alex, and turns to Lucy as if to say _anything else?_

 

“We’re good here.” Lucy looks like she’s had about enough of the whole situation, and decides to give in for the sake of keeping things civil. But before Lucy, Winters, and Vasquez leave, Lucy turns to Alex, “Drinks later?” 

 

“Another time.” That’s...more than interesting, but Lena will have to get to that later. Right now, she’s alone in a room watching Alex pretend to gather her supplies when she realizes Alex's studying Lena’s speech. “Wow.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“This is bullshit.” Alex abandons the binders and picks up the annotated document. “You’re not really going to say this are you?”

 

“I sort of have to.” 

 

“It’s an admission of guilt,” Alex warns Lena, her eyes scanning the second half of the speech with a frown. “You’re digging yourself a hole with this wording. You need more active words, more about a mission, something the public can measure you by.” Alex looks up at Lena. “Sorry, this isn’t really...it’s none of my business.” 

 

“It is. I’m not doing this for fun.” Lena rests her elbow on the table. “Trust me.” 

 

“I’ve seen you talk.” Alex forgoes the chair, and instead sits on the table, and pulls a pen out from behind her ear. “You’ve got great posture, really solid eye contact, but it’s too formulaic.” 

 

“Is that so?” Lena had spent years working on her public persona, she wasn’t sure she was ready for a scientist - who didn’t seem all that social - to critique it. 

 

“No offense.” Alex sets the paper down. “You’ve got a great voice. Powerful, but not too demanding, with the right words this could all work, it’s just...you know, this is National City, not Metropolis. They’re all bitterly cold and ruthless, we like our hotshots with a bit of warmth.” The smile that follows disrupts Lena’s anger before it can form into something more than a sinking feeling in her gut. Lena is, in fact, a perfectionist. She’s spent so much of her time trying to masters those annoying little details that make people tick. Usually, it takes her all of five minutes to have someone eating out of her hand. 

 

So far, Lucy was the only one to bend ever so slightly to her will, but that was nothing more than necessity. Hank was a fucking brick wall, the other agents didn’t have enough power to change anything in this situation, and Alex? Well...she didn’t seem to care. “I’m playing the game, aren’t I?”

 

“Seems so.” Alex ponders for a moment. Lena is desperate to get the power back in this situation, but Alex isn’t giving her anything to work off. “You jumped at this opportunity. Why?” 

 

“It was the right choice.” Alex doesn’t believe her, Lena looks down at her hands instead of forcing an excuse. “You don’t seem like you’re 100% on board.” 

 

“Why should that matter?” 

 

“You work for them.” Lena scoffs. “Just another part of the machine.” That catches Alex off guard. It’s a dig, one Lena hadn’t intended to say. All Lena wants to blurt out is _I’m sorry_ , but admitting a mistake is worse than the mistake itself. There’s obviously more to Alex, and Lena had been on the receiving end of comments like that more time than she can remember. But this conversation was unsteady. Alex’s presence was unsteadying, and Lena needed to find a better way to get her brain in order or she’d end up saying worse things. “I should get going.” 

 

Alex offers little more than a shrug before she starts for the door. Halfway into the hallway, Alex shouts over her shoulder, “You should change the name.” She’s gone before Lena can inquire further, but the thought does stick with her. LuthorCorp causes fear in the masses, even Lena hates hearing the name so Alex might be onto something. 

 

It isn’t until Lena gets home that she actually indulges in the sheer fantasy of just disappearing off the face of the planet, and retiring in some little bungalow in the middle of nowhere. Home. It’s a funny thing calling this place home. But she has a penthouse apartment right in the heart of downtown, and she’s been furiously looking through IKEA’s online shop to find a better way to fill the space. She can afford better, but she likes the idea of building things whether it’s an empire or a coffee table. The movers had done a great job of laying out the necessities, but this was the first time she really got to be on her own - free from her mother’s visits - and she wanted this place to feel safe. 

 

Lena wasn’t stupid. She knew that this transition was going to be difficult. A lot of hate would be directed at her, and with long hours, and hundreds of employees, she was going to have to figure out a way to actually breathe. 

 

A knock at her door pulls Lena from her thoughts. She’s pleasantly surprised to see Jack standing there, holding two bottles of champagne and a box wrapped in silver paper under his arm. “Thought I’d drop by.” Lena grabs a bottle, and Jack wraps her up into a tight hug, before waltzing his way into the expansive room. He eyes the pristine furniture, the huge balcony, the floor to ceiling windows. “This is nicer than your Metropolis place.” Jack searches the kitchen for champagne glasses but decides that mugs will do. He and Lena plop down on the couch and pop a bottle open. 

 

“I thought you were in Rome.”

 

“I was, but I wanted to be here for you.” Jack’s smile is sincere, and Lena knows that he never does anything unless he wants to. “Besides, National City is a gem. I’ve got some restaurants that we should try out.” Lena knows that she could never get out of spending time with Jack, not that she wants to, but her nerves are getting the best of her, and maybe a few mugs of champagne is exactly what she needs. Lena’s phone buzzes and she reads the text from Lucy.

**[LUCY]:** Winters _says there’s a man in the penthouse, everything okay?_

 

Lena responds and says that everything is just fine, but really she wants to tell them to fuck off. Knowing that you’re being watched is almost worse than not knowing. Jack makes a face. 

 

“Who’s Lucy?”

 

“No one,” Lena assures him, but she can see the grin already forming on his face. 

 

“Good, because that would sort of ruin the joy of my gift.” Jack grabs the box and sets it down on Lena’s lap. “Open it!”

 

“I hate gifts.” 

 

“You won’t hate this one, I promise.” Jack is always mischievous, and Lena didn’t mind indulging. He was a fashion designer, and Metropolis’ fashion week was a great opportunity for Lena to meet and greet way back when her brother was still a respected member of society. They didn’t quite hit it off, but Lena had been particularly interested in his finance manager, so she’d crossed paths with him quite a bit. Lena and Sam realized that they worked much better as friends with benefits, because their baggage was far too much to work through, so the trio remained close, despite the distance. 

 

Lena unwraps the gift, her cheeks warming at the sight in front of her. “This one has sixteen different vibration settings. I didn’t know what your current sex-uation was so, I bought the strap-on harness too, just in case.” Lena could hit him, but instead, she just laughs. “Just looking out for my darling of a friend.” 

 

“You’re too kind.” Lena rolls her eyes and places the _thing_ on her coffee table. She pours herself more champagne. “And you’re right, I don’t exactly have the luxury of joining Tinder out here. Not for a few months anyhow.”

 

“Don’t fret, my dear. One night out, and you’ll have people begging.” Jack throws back some more champagne and searches the room for where he put the other bottle. “So, you have to give me something. The only thing I get from the tabloids are pictures of your cleavage, and as exciting as that is, I want to make sure you’re okay.” 

 

Okay is an overstatement, but she’s getting there. “You won’t say anything, will you?” 

 

“You can trust me, you know that.” It’s not that Lena doesn’t already know that, but she quite enjoys the reminders that she's not alone out here. 

 

“Someone told me I should change LuthorCorp’s name.” Lena leans her back against the couch and sighs. “They’re right. The name, it’s gonna kill me.”

 

“It is pretty dreadful.” Jack sets his mug down. “You’d need a fairly major conference meeting.”

 

“It’s my decision.” 

 

“Your mother will eat you alive. The company is yours, but it’s not really, is it?” 

 

“I don’t want this, Jack. None of it. And that’s the fucking story of my life, but what if...what if I can make it mine? My story for once. I do want to be a good person, and that means shedding the fucking skin. Shedding the name. L-Corp. It can be Lena or Luthor, one or the other. It’s a way forward.” Lena was tired of looking back. Tired of finding broken pieces of her life around every corner. Alex was right, she needed something to change. “What do you think?” 

 

“I think I need to meet the person who suggested this to you.” Jack studies Lena for a long moment. 

 

“I’ve barely even met them,” Lena assures him. 

 

“So, what’s stopping you?” 

 

“Hm?”

 

“You don’t take advice, you never have. Tell me their name.” Lena doesn’t want to tell him that she’s already gone down this road. But Jack has his phone out, looking expectantly at her. If he accidentally likes something on Alex’s Instagram, then that would be fine, right? “Ms. Luthor, have you slept with this person?”

 

“No. Certainly not.” Lena leans on Jack’s shoulder. “Her name is Alex Danvers.” Jack’s fingers move fast, quickly searching on Instagram and finding the profile, Lena had been so afraid to click on a few days earlier. “Yeah, that’s her.” 

 

Alex is much more active on Instagram than Lena had assumed. There are hundreds of posts, actually. Some science-related, some group shots with the same group of friends over and over again. But mostly, Lena notices how often a blonde woman shows up in the photos. A bright smile is always on this woman’s face, an arm always thrown over Alex’s shoulders, a close comfort that confuses Lena. It’s also obvious that Alex isn’t always taking these pictures. And there are plenty of photos of Alex hanging out on the couch, sipping a whiskey, or helping this blonde woman with some kind of construction project. “Damn...she’s hot.” Jack clicks on a specific photo, one that gives Lena pause. Alex is with Agent Vasquez, both their shirts off, looking even better with sweat dripping down their abs. 

 

“Wow…” It’s really all Lena can say. She could tell that Alex was lean, but not this strong. How does she have a body like that, when she’s sitting in a lab all day? 

 

“What do you mean ‘wow’, don’t you know this woman?” 

 

“Barely.”

 

“Well, get to know her. She’s brainy, hot, just your type.” Lena rolls her eyes, if her “type” could be described in two words, then she’s really doing something wrong here. Lena forces herself to close her mouth, and stop staring. It’s embarrassing enough that Jack can read her this well, she doesn’t need to help him. “Ohhhh, blondie is her sister. Bloody brilliant.” Jack laughs. “So, what’s your plan?” 

 

“Jack, you’re reading way too much into this. She’s nice, she had one decent idea, but...you know my life.” Lena glances down at the vibrator that Jack had purchased. “Sometimes it’s better to be alone in this.” 

 

* * *

 

Alex is grabbing her usual morning coffee when she gets a text from Lucy. Alex has a ton of stuff to accomplish today, all of which will need to be typed up later in a lengthy report, and submitted to the review team. Alex, mostly, is confident in her research. She’s come up with a more humane way to subdue Dominators, and she wants them to implement a new protocol in the coming months.  She puts her coffee down on a table nearby and sets her bag down, so she can actually read what Lucy has said. 

 

[LUCY]: Your morning is about to get insane.

 

[ALEX]: Why?

 

[LUCY]: Luthor wants you on her personal security team. Get to L.C. ASAP, and I’ll brief you then

 

Alex doesn’t even know where to begin, but she does know that she needs to get to LuthorCorp right now. Alex knocks back her espresso and rushes out the door, nearly knocking over a group of suit-clad finance guys on her way to her bike. A lot of things are running through her mind on the drive over. Mostly, she’s wondering if Lucy has taken her coldness to heart, and is doing this to punish Alex. It’ll be a blame game from here on out, and if Alex knows Kara, it’ll morph into mediation if Lucy and Alex aren’t careful. So before Alex even sets foot into the building, she takes a moment to calm her nerves, closing her eyes, and running through a quick breathing routine, before going through security. 

 

The LuthorCorp building is pristine. Everyone looks effortlessly beautiful, and Alex has trouble focusing because every surface is so clean, that she’s starting to see her reflection everywhere. There’s an entanglement of media personnel idling near the front doors, waiting for Ms. Luthor to come outside. It’s the exact controlled chaos that Alex was expecting, she just wasn’t expecting to see it in person. “Alex, let’s head up.” Lucy is in uniform, and Alex can see other DEO agents scattered about the first floor in plain clothes. Alex is happy that she at least was wearing blue chinos, a black wool sweater, and a forest green bomber. Better than the sweats she might have been wearing otherwise. 

 

“Where are we going?” Alex asks as she enters the elevator, but Lucy is already pressing the top floor, and it’s fairly obvious that they’re going upstairs to meet Lena. “So, this is bullshit, right?”

 

“Wrong, actually.” Lucy leans against the side of the elevator and lets out a laugh. “You must’ve made some kind of impression, because she asked for you, and you only. I mean, Jesus Christ, what’d you say to her?”

 

“Nothing.” Alex shrugs. “Do I need a uniform?”

 

“Nope, she prefers plainclothes. But you need a gun.” The elevator dings open, and they walk out into a frenzy of LuthorCorp employees, and more DEO agents. Lucy leads Alex to a table, with standard issue DEO equipment. Lucy hands Alex a shoulder holster and points to some 9mm weapons. “Take your pick.”

 

“What is this? Why do I need two guns?” 

 

“Protocol.” Lucy seems to actually be enjoying this, but Alex doesn’t read too much into it. Alex is a team player when she believes it’s for a good cause, and right now Alex really just wants the day to go smoothly. “Luthor’s in her office, she wants to meet with you before the big show.” Alex finishes putting on her holster, checks her two guns and tugs on her jacket to cover the weapons. Alex loved working in a lab these past few months, but she did miss the weight of a weapon to carry her through the day. 

 

As Alex approaches Lena’s office, a tiny woman wearing a headset, and carrying a clipboard jumps in front of her. “Sorry, approved personnel only.” 

 

“Yeah, uh...I’m approved.” Alex studies the list of names written on the paper attached to the woman’s clipboard. “Danvers, Alex.” Alex points to her name and smiles. She doesn’t know who this woman is, but if she’s going to be working for Ms. Luthor than she needs to play nice. Alex holds out her hand, which the woman takes with a thoughtful expression. “And you are?”

 

“Jess. Um...just Jess is fine.” 

 

“Alright, Just-Jess, I’m heading in.” Jess nods, before Alex swings open the door, and walks into the spacious office. The first thing Alex notices is Lena, because how could she not. Dressed in the lovely blue top that Alex had chosen, lips a fierce red, hair covering her shoulders, Lena looks like a force to be reckoned with. Alex feels out of place, awkward even, as she walks across the room, struggling to figure out why they are the only two people in here. “Ms. Luthor.”

 

“Ms. Danvers-.”

 

“Alex.”

 

“Okay, Alex.” Lena motions to herself. “Then, you should be calling me Lena, no?” Alex nods and stops near Lena’s desk. Alex hates hovering, but she doesn’t know what to do or say. Should she ask why she was selected, or just let it go? “I’m happy you came.” 

 

_I didn’t have a choice_ , Alex thinks, but she forces a smile. “I apologize for my general...surprise about this whole thing. I assumed you’d want Lucy as your liaison. She’s been working with you thus far.”

 

“Oh, she’s too much of a puppet. I like the way you think.” Lena motions for Alex to sit, which she does. “I hope this is okay. I understand that you have a lot of work to do, and I don’t want to be a burden.” Alex can see the sadness in Lena’s eyes, and despite her desire to say that yes, this is totally insane, Alex sits up straight and gives Lena a reassuring smile. 

 

“You’re not. I’m happy to do this.”

 

“Good, because my life is fully in your hands.” It’s dramatic, but the truth. Lena takes another look at the paper sitting on her desk, before standing and checking her watch. “After the speech, I’m getting on the elevator like I’m heading back here, but I’m stopping at the next floor up and taking the stairs down to the garage, and an unmarked car to my penthouse. I need you with me.”

 

“Got it.”

 

“Are you a good shot?”

 

“Top of the class.” 

 

* * *

 

The speech goes perfectly. Plenty of cheers, a few handpicked questions, and most importantly no one had tried to murder her. Lena doesn’t enjoy giving speeches, but she does like the applause. A gentle hint of validation boosted her moral, and the renaming of the company to LCorp was just the right brand of shock that she needed. Lena was flanked by Alex as she got into her private elevator, and despite her heart racing, and the trickle of sweat sliding down her neck, nothing was more unnerving than Alex’s eyes on her. She should’ve kicked Jack out the moment he gave her a fucking vibrator as a gift. As soon as Alex was introduced Lena’s mind wandered into places that it should never approach, especially not when she was going to be spending a lot of time in a small space with said woman. 

 

“What?” Lena questions and Alex doesn’t say anything for a long time. “A simple congrats would do.”

 

“Congrats,” Alex says as she leads the way from the elevator to the staircase. “You took my advice.”

 

“I told you, I like the way you think.” Lena watches Alex’s reaction to that carefully. She’s not above choosing someone else if Alex turns out to be a cocky know-it-all. But instead, Alex looks relieved, like she’s been believed for the first time in her life. “I had them eating out of the palm of my-.” Lena is stopped by a firm hand, pressed against her abdomen. Alex presses her finger to a small earpiece. 

 

“A red car, 7Y8 HGF9, that supposed to be there?” Alex gently moves Lena back into the stairwell, staying near the door, watching. “Copy.” Alex lets her hand fall to her side, and she gives Lena an apologetic glance, before continuing on. It’s not until they’re in the back of the large SUV that Lena actually starts breathing again. Alex looks unfazed. “Sorry, about that.”

 

“No, you just...that was scary.” 

 

“Yeah.” It’s like a switch has been flipped, and Alex had completely shut down. Her eyes are vacant, she keeps fiddling with her holster too. “You okay?” 

 

“I’m fine. Are you okay?” 

 

“Yes.” Lena decides not to push it, and instead, she turns to her phone for relief. Before she can scroll through her Twitter feed, Alex leans forward and grabs her phone. “You definitely don’t want to do that.” Alex, feeling like she might have overstepped, quickly gives the phone back. “Sorry, but...people will be talking about how much they want to kill or fuck you, and that’s not a good thing for your psyche.”

 

“You’re looking out for me?”

 

“That’s my job, technically.” There’s that smile, Lena wants to see a little more of that. “I regret watching your previous speeches.”

 

“Why?” 

 

“You’re better in person.” Alex looks out the window. “People are underestimating you. Don’t get me wrong, I probably am too. But you’ve got genuine power here. Not just because of who you’re related to. I’m impressed.”

 

“You’re impressed by the facade. That woman up there isn’t me.” The driver pulls into the parking garage, Lena realizes that this could easily be the end of their conversation. Lucy set up a special detail that didn’t include Alex, but Lena didn’t want to be left alone right now. “Come upstairs with me.”

 

“What?”

 

“You’re going to be spending a lot of time with me. A few months, maybe more, at least until Lucy gets tired of dealing with me. You need to see my place.” It was a stupid excuse, they both know that, but Alex complies anyway. 

 

Lena expects Alex to be taken aback, at least a little bit, but Alex seems to have nerves of steel when it comes to seeing a six million dollar penthouse for the first time. Lena chides herself for not cleaning up after Jack was here, and she hurries over to grab the mugs and the vibrator off the coffee table. Alex sees them both but doesn’t even blush. “Nice place.” Lena had been trying to rebalance this situation since they’d gotten in the car, but somehow Alex continues to be the one in control. Alex walks around the room, never once suggesting with her body that she’d like to sit down. Lena goes to her cabinet and grabs two glasses. 

 

“Can I get you anything? Coffee, water, whiskey.” Alex’s eyes widen at the word whiskey, and despite her protests, Lena pours Alex a little nip anyway. By the time Lena sits down, she’s fully regained her composure, and her desire to figure out why exactly Alex is so hot and cold all the time is reignited. “You’re a tough read.” 

 

“Not many people care to take me off the shelf.” Alex does, in fact, take the glass, but she continues standing. Sometimes glancing outside, sometimes at the expensive furniture in the room, rarely at Lena. “My job is to blend in.”

 

“But you like the lab more?” 

 

“I prefer working alone more, whether it's in the lab, or on the field. Setting matters less to me.” 

 

“Should I just sit down and shut up, then? I wouldn’t want you getting annoyed.” Alex takes a sip of her whiskey, smirking a bit as she does so. “Tell me about you.” 

 

“No.” Alex seems to be getting more comfortable in the space. “I’m your security guard, sometimes I get ideas about politics, and I overstep. That’s all. I’d much rather hear about you.” 

 

“Well, what do you want to know?” Lena is great at playing games, Alex doesn’t stand a chance, but Lena is still curious where she can take this. “My favorite movie?”

 

“If I wanted an antidote, I’d have become a reporter. I just don’t understand why you would take over LCorp. Let the company die, that’s not on you. You’re a smart woman, but you’ll get stuck here.” Alex shakes her head. “Sorry, overstepping again.” 

 

“No, it’s okay. I rather like someone telling me the truth.” Alex finishes her whiskey and Lena motions to the bottle on the counter. “You really drink on the job?”

 

“You offered. I thought it’d be rude if I said no.” Alex takes a seat on the couch next to Lena, far enough away to keep things professional. Or as professional as day drinking with your new boss could be.

 

“So, this is just following orders?”

 

“Sure.” 

 

“You’d do anything I told you to?”

 

“Yes.” It was getting warmer in the room by the second. Lena was starting to regret bringing Alex up here, she was starting to regret it all. This was stupid, anyway, some sick fantasy about meeting a person who doesn’t bow or recoil at her presence. Frustration was mounting, and Lena found herself studying Alex closer. Her hair was perfectly groomed. Her legs were toned, and Lena knew exactly how the rest of her body looked - stupid, Jack, and his Instagram stalking. 

 

“You’re messing with me, right?” Lena stands, grabs the bottle, and pours them each two fingers more. “You wouldn’t really.”

 

“We’ll just have to see, I guess.” Alex takes the glass from Lena, and motions a quick cheers. “So, who were you here with last night?”

 

“That’s a…” Lena lets out a laugh, “very personal question.” 

 

“I’m not prying. I just want to know who might be showing up here. A list would be okay, too.” Alex pulls a notepad out of her pocket, and a pen, waiting patiently for Lena to continue. Lena feels like a child, ready to be chastised for her choices. But Alex has an easiness about her, something Lena isn’t sure she understands yet, but it allows the stress to roll of Lena’s shoulders each time she looks up. 

 

“His name is Jack. Jack Spheer. He’s a friend.” Lena watches Alex write. “He’s in town for a little while, playing older brother, as he does. He’ll probably be the one and only person showing up here.” 

 

“No partners?” 

 

“Did you come up here just to gather this information?” 

 

“Yes.” Alex sticks her pen behind her ear and leans back on the couch. “I’m a tactical specialist, I’m trained to kill one hundred and forty-seven different alien species on sight. When I have a mission, I do it, no questions asked. So, if you feel more comfortable sitting up here drinking, then that’s wonderful. But this is my job, I’m here to protect you, and to do that effectively, I need to know you.” 

 

“And you think you’ll get to know me in one afternoon?” 

 

“It’s a start.” Lena has a whole lot more to say, but then Lena’s phone buzzes, and she can see a series of texts popping up. “I’ll give you my number, and we can have a formal conversation tomorrow.” Alex writes her number on a piece of paper, before standing. “Only call if it’s an emergency. I occasionally have a life.” 

 

“Right, I’ll do that.” Lena stands, as a formality, and leads Alex to the door. She doesn’t know how this all should end - no hugs, certainly, no kissing - just a lingering stare on Lena’s part, and Alex is heading out the door. Alex glances over her shoulder before she gets on the elevator, and Lena knows that this moment will somehow find her way into her dreams. 

 

It’s not new information, but it does creep into the forefront of her mind for the first time in a while. Lena really needs to figure out a way to get laid, before she starts drooling every time she comes face to face with someone as distinctly stunning as Alex Danvers. 


	2. Chapter 2

Only three people ever knock at Alex’s door. Kara, the delivery guy, and Ms. Sanders who lives down the hall. Having not ordered anything, and just seen a Snapchat from a bar that Kara was currently at, Alex was priming herself to have a long chat with Ms. Sanders. About cats, about politics, whatever Ms. Sanders wanted, Alex was in debt to her. Ms. Sanders was always warm and welcoming, and she was one of the few people in the city that Alex actually cared for.

 

Alex shelves the bottle of whiskey and heads to the door, throwing it open expectantly. But it’s not Ms. Sanders. It’s Lucy. And Alex doesn’t quite know what to say. “Can I come in?” Lucy is wearing street clothes. It’s the first time Alex has seen her out of uniform since she moved here. Mostly because Alex had been avoiding all of the invitations to hang out, but that was beside the point. Right now, Alex wasn’t sure if she wanted Lucy to come in. Ever. “Or I could just stand here.” Alex snaps out of it. She’s angry, maybe confused, but she’s not a jerk. So Alex steps aside and allows Lucy to enter the apartment.

 

Alex should feel self-conscious. Her place is quiet, sleek, and less homey than she wants. She’d tried to liven up the place with a few plants, and a funky Art Deco rug, but nothing really helped. Her small balcony was her one saving grace. She has a great view of the city below, a few shops sit at ground level. Alex’s favorite is a little cafe run by a feisty woman named Miriam. The convenience store provides her with decent people watching, and when she’s feeling particularly social, she’ll sometimes hang out there, and chat with Niko - who may or may not be a drug dealer, Alex has yet to learn the full story.

 

But Lucy doesn’t see any of that. Alex watches as Lucy finds her way to the kitchen island, eyeing Alex’s half empty whiskey glass, a few blueprints of LCorp, and Alex’s laptop. Alex knows that Lucy sees the webpage she’d just been scrolling through, a chat thread reserved for aliens and humans who want to help them. Humans like Alex. Lucy must be forming opinions, she must be curious. Alex has had enough of this. “Is something wrong?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Lucy, it’s late. Let’s just skip over the-.”

 

“Lois lied to you.” Lucy looks startled at first, but then her eyes soften. “What did she say to you?” Alex wants to laugh. This is beyond absurd. The fact that Lucy was standing in her apartment, eight years after all this shit went down, and asking a question like that...Alex didn’t know what she should say.

 

“I don’t remember.” And that much was true. Alex had been curious about why Lucy had suddenly stopped talking to them. She’d even called Lucy’s house a few times, getting vague answers from Lois. Alex didn’t want to push things, so she let it go, but that didn’t mean she didn’t wonder.

 

“I wanted to call you. I mean...well, you were off doing whatever, and then I went to school-.”

 

“I don’t need a recap of this. I was there, it was ages ago, we can move on.” Lucy looks hurt by that. Like she’s been practicing for this moment, and it was all falling apart right in front of her eyes. Alex would be sympathetic, but today had been tough, and she had no clue how to deal with this version of Lucy. “We have to work together, Lucy, I’m comfortable leaving it at that if you are.”

 

“You’re so different.” Alex goes for the whiskey bottle and sets it down on the table. She grabs her glass and takes a seat on a stool.

 

“How so?”

 

“You’re quiet for starters. And you’re locked up in the lab for so long, like...I don’t know, like you don’t want anyone to know you’re there.” Lucy takes a seat on the stool beside Alex. “You used to be so bold, so full of fire, and then-...” Lucy looks down. “I’m different too. Things got a little crazy between us, I remember, but now I actually know what moderation means.” Lucy slides the glass out of Alex’s hand, and swirls the brown liquid for a second, before knocking it back. “Good stuff.”

 

“Well, if you’re different, and I’m different, we should start over.”

 

“You don’t mean that.” Lucy’s eyes search Alex’s for a long moment before she grins. “But you said it, so you can’t take it back.” Alex knows she’s in trouble, but this is much better than the fight she was preparing to lose. Lucy had this thing about her, that Alex could never really learn to get over. And her rebellious streak sucked Alex in, until they both found themselves lost, and digging their way back to safety alone. “Do you have another glass?” Lucy nods to the bottle of whiskey.

 

“No, we’re not drinking here,” Alex warns.

 

“What? Why not?” Alex doesn’t want to go there, she doesn’t know how. She’d been dulling parts of herself for years, and now with Lucy’s presence, it was like she didn’t know how to hide things the right way anymore. “I promise we won’t get into any trouble.”

 

“It’s not like that.” Alex sounds more defensive than she means to, so she quickly adds, “But you have been asking to go out for a proper drink for months, so...let’s go.” Lucy seems elated, and Alex hustles off to her bedroom, quickly changing into jeans, a plain t-shirt, and her leather jacket. When she reemerges, she finds Lucy looking through a few family photos on the side table near her couch.

 

“How’s Kara?”

 

“You haven’t checked in on her?” Alex does a little typing motion with her hands. She’s certain that Lucy went to Vasquez to find out where Alex lived, she’s surprised that she wouldn’t also check on Kara.

 

“Wanted to, but figured eventually I could crack that tough shell of yours.” Lucy stands and allows Alex to lead the way out of her apartment. They make it downstairs quickly, but Alex is starting to feel self-conscious again, with Lucy’s eyes always on her, and her stomach constantly turning. This feels weird. They have changed, Alex does want a good working relationship with Lucy, but there are still...feelings there. Still tactile memories of what it felt like to be with a younger version of the woman standing next to her. Alex hasn’t felt young in a long time, but she does now. “Nice jacket by the way.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

“‘ Thanks ’.” Lucy laughs. “You’re too cool for school, huh?”

 

“What should I do? Blush?”

 

“I’d like that.” Lucy holds the door open for Alex, as they make their way out of the building. “I’ve barely seen you smile since I got to the DEO.”

 

“There’s not a ton to smile about. We’re apprehending aliens.” Alex shrugs. “But don’t tell anyone I said that. I get enough shit as it is.”

 

“People do love a good Alex Danvers discussion.” Lucy starts, she looks mischievous, like she wants Alex to beg for the details. Alex stopped caring what people thought of her years ago. “Mostly, everyone’s just astounded at how smart you are.” Lucy keeps glancing over at Alex, hoping she’ll take the bait. “You’re a bit of an alien lover, huh?”

 

“Oh, fuck off.”

 

“It’s not a bad thing. Just some controversy to follow you around in that lab of yours.” Alex is thankful that they’ve arrived at the bar, it’s an added distraction for Lucy, and she can get a decent pour from the friendly neighborhood bartenders. “Bar or booth?”

 

“Bar.” Alex leads the way. It’s a little crowded, but the room is mostly filled with conversation. Lucy orders whiskey for them and assures Alex that she’ll pay for everything. “So...why the hell is the DEO so interested in Lena Luthor?”

 

“Wow.” Lucy takes a sip of her drink. “Were you saving up that question this whole time?”

 

“Since this morning, actually, but we didn’t have enough time on the elevator.” Lucy’s jaw hangs open for a long moment. “Hank is a great interim director, but I know that he isn’t really running things, so whose idea was this?”

 

“You’re jumping to some major conclusions, aren’t you?”

 

“You’re not the one who just got assigned to be a moving target-.”

 

“She chose you, that’s the truth. And all I know is what I’m telling you. Luthor is necessary to make the DEO’s job easier.” Alex isn’t sure she believes Lucy, but she won’t get anywhere tonight. “Do you have more questions running through that brain of yours, or are we allowed to have a normal drink?”

 

“We’re good.”

 

“You must be killer in interrogations.”

 

“You just said no work talk,” Alex reminds Lucy.

 

“Fine.” Lucy waves the bartender over for another. “So, are you seeing anyone?”

 

“No.”

 

“That’s all I get?”

 

“There’s not really a whole lot to say.” That’s the truest thing Alex has said all night.

 

“Luthor’s hot though, right?” Alex nearly chokes on her drink. Lucy is just pushing her buttons now. And everything becomes crystal clear. Alex doesn’t trust Lucy, Lucy doesn’t trust Alex, and they’re both trying to keep the other on a leash. “I mean you did go to her penthouse this afternoon...”

 

“I think you’ve got the wrong idea about me,” Alex starts, but she can’t figure out a way to finish the thought. “I’m just doing my job. She wanted me to know the layout of her place, so I went upstairs.”

 

“Fine, bore me to death with protocol.” Lucy nudges Alex’s arm playfully. “Okay, so if work is off limits, and so is your romantic life, then tell me something I’m allowed to know. Like...when’d you do this?” Lucy runs her fingers over the back of Alex’s head, paying careful attention to her buzzed undercut.

 

“A year ago.”

 

“Why?”

 

“I didn’t want that hair anymore. It was too heavy.” Alex wants to leave, now. There’s this feeling of intimacy that she doesn’t want. Like they’ve been in this very spot before. And Lucy’s hand hasn’t moved, and Alex realizes too suddenly, that this isn’t about power. They aren’t really fighting for anything anymore. They’re just tiptoeing around until they feel like they have to run. Back then they’d felt this too. It wasn’t just Lucy who ran, it was Alex too, and now, Lucy is reminding Alex that they have unfinished business. That their paths had to cross again. “Early morning tomorrow, we should probably-.”

 

“Yeah, of course.” Lucy throws some cash down on the bar, and Alex follows her outside. It’s colder than it should be. A few night owls are staggering around, but mostly it’s just them standing on the corner, huddling close together for warmth. “Alex?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I want to be friends again.” Lucy looks genuine and hopeful, and it’s a stark contrast to how they were acting earlier. “I know so much has changed, but you really are the only person who has ever known me.”

 

“Okay,” Alex says as Lucy’s _Lyft_ driver pulls up in front of them. “Saturday, seven p.m. Kara’s got a big thing, and I know she would enjoy having you there.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes, really.” Alex smiles as she waves goodnight to Lucy. Nothing in life is ever easy, but when forgiveness feels natural, she has to go with it. Tonight, Alex almost feels free. Everything doesn’t feel so heavy, and even the thought of going to LCorp the next day is an exciting one. This feels like a start. She feels like she can finally make choices that matter, so she does make a choice. To stop picking people apart, and allow them to surprise her.

* * *

 

Lena knows that Alex is waiting in the hallway. She’s known for almost an hour, but calls and emails keep getting in the way, and she simply cannot ignore them. Lena has never had a one on one relationship with her security but now seemed like the perfect start. If Lena was going to branch off, then she was going to do it right, starting with Alex.

 

It didn’t help or hurt that Alex was perceptive. Lena needed someone to delve deeper, question things even. But it was difficult to figure out how exactly to develop comfortable confidence between them. It also didn’t help that Lena had brought Alex to her penthouse. That was the kind of thing that crossed lines and made it difficult to know just where they stood.

 

Lena picks up her desk phone, “Jess, can you send Alex in?”

 

“Of course,” Jess replies, and it takes all of three seconds for Alex to walk into the room. Lena is taken aback by Alex’s look today. Her hair is slicked back, and her all-black outfit is only subdued by a warm looking maroon sweater underneath her jacket. Lena can tell by the way Alex is carrying a notepad and a file that she’s all business today.

 

“Good morning, I’m sorry about making you wait so long.” Lena motions for Alex to sit, and this time Alex doesn’t hesitate. Alex places the files and the notepad on Lena’s desk. She looks lost for a second, as she pats all of her pockets. “It’s right there,” Lena tells Alex, pointing to where Alex’s pen has been neatly tucked behind her ear.

 

Alex laughs at herself, probably feeling a bit foolish, but Lena finds it endearing. The absent-mindedness is charming. “I like the way you do that.” The words fall out of Lena’s mouth. Though she had certainly been thinking them, she feels embarrassed that she actually says them to Alex out loud.

 

“Oh, yeah, I…” Alex grabs the pen. “In the lab, I run out of pockets.” They’re both content to brush it off and move forward, but Lena is stuck on the fact that since knowing the woman sitting in front of her, she has never once been able to command her mouth and her brain to work in unison. “I have a few things for you if that’s okay.”

 

“Sure,” Lena leans forward and scans the documents that Alex has placed in front of her. “Wow, this is extensive.”

 

“Boundaries are important. I want you to have a sense of security without feeling like I’m constantly looking over your shoulder. I’ll be here at LCorp overseeing your detail, I’ll coordinate travel as well. But that’s it. Is that okay with you?”

 

“It’s great.” Lena signs the forms, trying her best to break through Alex’s cold exterior with a smile. “How was your evening?”

 

“It was okay.”

 

“You’re not very convincing.” Alex cracks a smile, finally. “Can I be frank with you?”

 

“Anytime.”

 

“I don’t like treating people like commodities. I’m not just a CEO, you’re not just a gun, so while I appreciate your desire to make sure I have a personal life, that doesn’t mean we have to build a brick wall between us.” Lena plays with her earring for a moment, trying to stay true to her open and vulnerable side. “How was your evening?”

 

“A little odd, actually.” Alex looks away from Lena. “A friend, someone who’s just come back into my life...we finally talked. It was good, but too much of a roller coaster of emotions for me.”

 

“Sounds like you have a lot to think about.”

 

“I guess I do.” Alex drums her fingers on Lena’s desk. “And you? How was your evening?”

 

Lena blushes like she wasn’t expecting to be asked. But Alex has these wonderfully curious eyes, and that leaves little room for impoliteness. Lena doesn’t want Alex to know about last night. Not about the scotch, or lonely unpacking, or even about her putting Jack’s present to use. Lena doesn’t want Alex to know that Lena might have thought of her, just for a moment, just as she felt heat pooling in her stomach, working the toy slowly as she chased her release.

 

Lena has fumbled into the kind of cognitive dissonance that she just cannot fathom. How had it taken only a few days to feel so uprooted by this woman? Lena knows simply by the looks that Alex throws her way, that Alex doesn’t think of her in any other way than as her boss. And Lena knows that her attraction to Alex is as simple as seeing a hot model in an advertisement. It’s small, fleeting really, but it still makes her unsure of everything she does around the other woman. “Not much of interest. A little more work, not enough sleep, and coming into work far too early.”

 

“Sounds like you need a vacation.”

 

“Seems so.” Lena can’t handle just sitting here any longer, so she stands abruptly. “Want a tour?”

 

“You really don’t have to babysit me. I’m comfortable waiting outside your office,” Alex assures Lena, but it’s no use. Lena is already standing and leading Alex out the door.

 

“Jess, when Morgan Edge gets here for my one o’clock, let him wait.” Lena grins and it’s mirrored by a chuckle from Jess. Alex takes note, Jess and Lena are closer than they seem. Alex takes note of a lot on the way through the hallways as well. Most of the employees are fresh-faced, pooling into nervous messes when Lena smiles their way or says hi. LCorp is much hipper than LuthorCorp had seemed in all those photos Alex looked through. Most importantly, the employees actually looked happy to be there. “So the bulk of LCorp are offices, but I’m a scientist at heart.” Lena leads them to a secured room, types in a lengthy code, and they enter.

 

The lab is cleaner than Alex’s and much more high tech. Lena knows her way around too like this is the one place that matters to her. “Where is everyone?” Alex asks as they continue walking past prototypes and sterile work stations.

 

“What?”

 

“Where are the techs?”

 

“Oh,” Lena laughs, all bright-eyed and rosy cheeks. “This is my lab. Sorry, I forgot to make that clear, I guess.” Lena wants to roll her eyes. She feels like such a tool when she talks to Alex. Always sticking her foot in her mouth, always faced with those eyes that tell her nothing. “When I lived in Metropolis, I was working on all kinds of research projects. Mostly health and wellness related, but new tech is all the rage out here.”

 

“And you disclose your research to the public?”

 

“Is that a suggestion?”

 

“No.” Alex leans against an empty table. “I have to say, you are…” Lena waits. She waits even as Alex’s silence gets so unnerving that she wants to scream. Because Lena needs to know these things. She needs to know if the person she’s supposed to be putting her trust in doesn’t trust her. “Not what I expected.” Alex runs her fingers through her hair.

 

“Why are you trying to distance yourself from me, then?”

 

“What?”

 

“Yesterday you were ready to be front and center as my personal security guard, and now you’re only overseeing things. Something changed. What is it?” At least Lena doesn’t sound as desperate as she actually is. At least she can find a way to pretend that this is a professional slight, but it’s personal. Lena respects Alex, Lena listened to Alex’s advice, and now Alex was trying to push her as far away as possible. Lena knows, from years of therapy, that she has a serious problem when it comes to being vulnerable, but if Alex just walks away then those feelings will be reinforced.  

 

“I’ve been stuck in a lab for months and now I’m in charge of ensuring your safety. I don’t take that responsibility lightly.” Alex sighs. “I care about what happens here,  and I want you to feel safe. I promise that I can be more effective if I take the time to revamp the protocol. Is that okay?”

 

Lena can’t take this personally, and so far Alex hasn’t appeared to be standoffish, so Lena nods. “Sure, no problem.” The agreement makes the room feel much lighter, and Lena is happy to watch Alex look around the room like a little kid in a candy shop.

 

No one has ever really gotten Lena. She’s often been too nerdy or rich or boring or sad. Right now, Alex is walking around commenting on blueprints and chemicals and making Lena feel like she gets her. Lena’s starting to understand Alex’s push and pull. She’s constantly holding back, but sometimes Lena can see who this woman really is. “I’ve been working on a project of my own, actually.” Alex crosses her arms over her chest. Her honesty is always guarded, Lena has noticed that.

 

“What is it?”

 

“It’s crazy.”

 

“Try me.” Alex hesitates for a moment before grabbing a notepad from one of the tables and flipping to a blank page. She grabs her pen from behind her ear and starts scribbling.

 

“So, electrons can be in two places at once. And if atoms are made of electrons, then…”

 

“You’re excited about a parallel universe theory?” Lena isn’t judging, just curious as to why Alex seemed so invested.

 

“Fuck the theory, I’m excited about the possibility.” Alex slides the paper across the counter, so Lena can see it. It’s a few scribbled drawings of a portal, rough, but clearly well developed. And the calculations, well, they weren’t wrong. Lena is astounded, mostly, and she’s starting to think that meeting Alex was fate. “We capture aliens at the DEO but I’m worried about the long run. If there’s a possibility that we could build a portal to another universe, then who knows. Maybe we could find another way of doing our jobs that doesn’t involve torture.”

 

“You want me to help you with this?” Alex’s eyes widen.

 

“You can’t touch this with a 20-foot pool.”

 

“Alex-.”

 

“I’m serious.” Alex shakes her head. “I just wanted to tell you about what I’m interested in. My lab work, you know, to relate.” Alex bites the inside of her cheek, that came out wrong. “No one at work can really know about this stuff. I just...you’re brilliant, so I thought I should share.”

 

“You can’t just show me this, and expect me to ignore it.”

 

“You’ve got more important shit to do.” 

 

“I can multitask.” Are they arguing? Because usually Lena feels disrespected or demonized when she doesn’t agree with someone. Right now she’s just feeling a rush of pent of energy wisping around the room. Alex smiles like she knows she won’t win, Lena slides the paper back over to Alex. “Titanium won’t work by the way. You’ll need an alloy, something with a better yield.”

 

“Okay.” Alex looks at Lena in a very charming way. Lena’s toes tingle, her cheeks turn pink, and she has never felt more like a schoolgirl.” Genius.”

* * *

 

On Lena's first real day off, Jack storms into her condo wearing a navy blue satin suit. His hair is tousled, he hasn't shaven in a few days, and he is grinning from ear to ear. "Your security guards are clearly repressed homosexuals. I walked my cute ass down their and violà, they let me come upstairs." Jack still hasn't noticed that Lena is wearing her yoga leggings and that she's currently in the middle of a relaxing session with Youtube's yoga most popular instructor. Lena pauses the video that she's cast from  her phone to her giant flat screen and rests her hands on her hips. "Do they get conjugal visits?" 

 

"They aren't prisoners. When they aren't working, they can do whatever they want," Lena assures him. 

 

"Really? Because they're looking a little horny. Speaking of..." Jack scans the room. "Where's your hot new security detail?" 

 

"She overseas my team, she doesn't work at my condo." Lena stretches and heads over to the refrigerator. She grabs two water bottles, tossing one to Jack. "Why are you interrupting my me-time?" 

 

"You can have all the me-time you want tonight with your vibrator. Let's go out." Jack grabs his phone and bounces on over to Lena's side. "Sometimes I forget how absolutely marvelous this city is. Popups every two seconds, weird broth in juices, and most importantly, hipster bars opening up like every weekend." Jack scrolls through Instagram and points to a post about a grand opening for something called a Barcade. Lena is horrified. "Come on!"

 

"Absolutely not. Do you see how you're dressed, it would take hours for me to look that good." Lena drinks water for a moment, trying to avoid Jack's attempts at persuading her only with his grin. 

 

"I'll dress you."

 

"Not a chance." 

 

"Lena, you cannot hide up here forever. You don't have to wake up early tomorrow. Please, let's go out, get drunk, flirt a little." Jack loops his arm with Lena's and starts pulling her to her walk-in closet. "Have you ever played _Street Fighter_?"

 

"I'm not sure I've ever played anything but chess." 

 

"That's so...sad." Jack riffles through some clothes and pulls out a slim-fit, blue and white striped jumpsuit. "This is backless? Oh yes, this is the one." 

 

"Can I shower first?" Lena asks. She is thankful that she's granted permission to at least clean up before Jack helps her decide exactly what to wear, down to some expensive lace underwear that she hasn't worn in years. Jack is right. It's nice to get dressed up to feel good and sexy. And so far National City has done wonders for her self-esteem. She feels like she's in college again, sipping champagne through a straw so she won't mess up her lipstick, while she and Jack wait for the car service to confirm a pickup time. 

 

"Five minutes!" Jack exclaims before he grabs her good bourbon and pours two shots. "We look stunning by the way, let's take a selfie for those obnoxious followers of yours." They cozy up and take a cute selfie that shows too much of her cleavage and Jack's toothy grin. "Adorable." 

 

"Okay, let's go." They rush down, wave goodbye to security, and fumble their way into the back of a car. Jack flirts with the driver, while Lena checks the reviews of the place they're going to. It's called _Baracade_ , which is punny and it doesn't surprise her that Jack would want to go to a place like this. There are only a few reviews up, all five-star ratings. 

  1. Miller ~ This place is amazing! Came here for the opening, the manager is super friendly, the staff is so attentive. Funky drinks that match the vibe perfectly too!
  2. Roland ~ Is it possible to give a place 10 stars? 
  3. Yoder ~ one of the bartenders is hot af, defs gonna come back if she'll be there



 

Lena rolls her eyes and closes her phone, at least she knows that people are excited about the place. And as annoying as Lucy - and Hank - had been in the past, they were right about Lena putting herself out there. People need to know that she is a normal and approachable woman. When they arrive, there's a crowd surrounding the doors. It's groups of friends chatting, smoking, and waiting for more people to arrive. Jack and Lena are noticed almost immediately. It's not that they're overdressed, but the combination of them both, cause a few people to overtly check them out. Lena can't believe how much she enjoys the attention, and they haven't even stepped inside. 

 

The interior is a bit louder but not overwhelming. Friends are gathered at machines living out childhood fantasies. The bar is bustling and the nice industrial look makes the place look hip and sleek. Lena is about to suggest that she go find a table when she literally runs into Lucy Lane. "Oh, I'm sorry, I..." Lucy's eyes go wide for a moment before she smiles. "Lena, nice to see you. I've got a table if you'd like to join." Lucy is actually rather nice. Lena has just had to show that she's a team player and suddenly all those threatening glares disappeared. But Lena isn't certain that she'd like to be drinking with Lucy or whoever she's here with. 

 

"Sure," Jack says for her. "I'm Jack and your top is amazing." Lucy's entire outfit is actually amazing, and now Lena's starting to understand why they had an entire conference to decide her wardrobe. As they make their way through the crowd, Lena can see Vasquez sitting next to a man that Jack would certainly be falling over within seconds. The table was also at a perfect vantage point. You could see the bar and the entrance from where they were sitting. Lucy must have friends in high places. 

 

"I'm Lucy." She shakes Jack's hand before finding two chairs for Lena and Jack. "That's Vasquez and this is James." 

 

"Nice to meet you both," Jack nudges Lena under the table. "This place is incredible." 

 

"You want to go find something to play?" James asks Jack. 

 

"More like something to play with," Jack mumbles under his breath. "Sure, mate." Jack is giddy as he completely abandons Lena with Lucy and Vasquez. Lena could kill him, she really could. And really, she's never quite felt like a Luthor, not really. But when she's angry? Then she gets it. 

 

"Alex is here by the way," Lucy says it so casually like she's talking about the weather, not someone who Lena can't seem to get out of her mind. "Her sister owns the place. Shit, where did she go?" Lucy tries to look through the crowd. She seems to be struggling. 

 

"There she is." Vasquez points behind the bar somewhere and Lena nearly does a doubletake when she sees Alex. She's wearing a plain white t-shirt, jeans, and a towel is thrown over her shoulder as she pops open a beer, and slides it to a customer. Alex looks like some kind of Marlon Brando lesbian wet dream, and Lena should probably stop looking. She should turn back to Lucy and Vasquez and start up a conversation about the city or maybe their favorite cafes. What she should definitely not be doing is getting within fifty feet of someone who looks that stunning. 

 

"I'm gonna go grab a drink, do you two want anything?" 

 

"Nah, we're good." Vasquez hasn't noticed Lena's drooling, Lucy has. Maybe it's actually better that Lena has to sidestep her way through a crowd, at least the red tint on her cheeks and flushed look will have a better reason than the fact that Lena was floored by how hot Alex looked tonight. Lena, for the sake of her reputation, didn't openly stare at Alex when she finally manages to squeeze her way to a barstool. Instead, she lingers waiting to be noticed. The look on Alex's face was absolutely priceless. She looked surprised, sure, but Lena was happy that Jack made her wear this particular bra because she saw Alex's eyes dip below her neckline at least twice before she approached her. 

 

"Lena? Wow, I didn't expect to see you here."

 

"Jack dragged me along." Lena looks around for a second. "Is this a night gig?" 

 

"My sister needed someone to clean a few dishes and serve up a few drinks while she mingled." Alex sets a glass in front of Lena and grabs a bottle of whiskey. "One or two fingers?" Three, Lena thinks before chastising herself and willing her mind not to go _there_. 

 

"Two."

 

"Apparently, I'm not allowed to make mixed drinks. So if you want any of that cutesy shit, you gotta go to Winn." Alex nods over at a small brown-haired man, who is currently demonstrating a belly dancing move to one of the other patrons. "Can I tell you a secret?" Alex slides the drink toward Lena and leans over the bar, her mouth is so close to Lena's ear that she actually debates turning just a little bit on the off chance that their lips might brush. "I'm a little tipsy." 

 

"Drinking on the job? Naughty." 

 

"How about I buy a bottle? I'll be finished in about five minutes. I can join you and Jack." Lena is totally fucked. There is no way she's going to be able to casually hang out with Alex. Not when she looks like that and certainly not with Jack egging her on. But Alex doesn't look nervous, or hesitant at all, and Lena will not be the one to pass up an opportunity to hang out with her outside of work. 

 

"I'll buy," Lena offers.

 

"I won't say no to that." Lena grabs her drink, while Alex checks her out. Again. "I like your..." Alex motions toward Lena. 

 

"My tits?" 

 

"What? No!" Alex laughs. "Your outfit. I don't know what it's called. Winn!" The tiny bartender rushes over and playfully collides into Alex's side. "Winn, what's her outfit called?"

 

"A jumpsuit, dummy." Winn is about to walk away, when he stops and says right to Lena, "I'm totally obsessed with you, and not in a creepy way, I swear." He's out of sight before Lena can ask any follow-up questions. 

 

"Your jumpsuit, it's nice," Alex tells her. "I feel like a scrub." 

 

"No, you look good." Lena realizes that she's actually never really flirted with anyone. Mostly, they've volleyed for her attention, not the other way around. She doesn't even know if she is flirting, or simply complementing Alex. "Are you any good at these game things?" 

 

"Game things? Don't tell me you've never been to an arcade before." 

 

"Does an arcade that's been turned into a mall count?" 

 

"No." Alex grabs a bottle and a stack of shot glasses and passes them over to Lena. "I'll be over there in a second." Lena tries not to linger and grabs the bottle and glasses, and returns to the table. Jack and James have returned, looking rather pleased with themselves. Vasquez and Lucy appear to be in some kind of standoff. Lucy looks embarrassed and angry, but Vasquez looks completely calm. 

 

"I was just telling Lucy that you and her have a lot in common," Vasquez tells Lena. 

 

"Oh, really? How so?" Lena questions because as much as she's about women's solidarity, she doesn't feel all that connected to someone like Lucy. 

 

"Her family sucks too."

 

"Not to put a damper on that, but everyone's family sucks," James interjects. "Thanks for the bottle, Lena." He starts pouring shots for everyone. Lena's about to excuse herself to go to the bathroom, so she can find a way to not allow the thoughts of her family to ruin the night when she looks across the table and sees that Lucy is staring at Alex. Jealous is not the word she would use. Because she can't bring herself to admit that she's actually very intrigued by Alex. But she did sense a little bit of a distance between Lucy and Alex, so maybe she's dealing with some pinning situation. And if Lena was checking Alex out earlier, than Lucy is quite literally undressing Alex with her eyes, and Lena wishes she could do something to stop her. 

 

"So, apparently James works at CatCo," Jack tells her and it sounds just like a warning because it is. Lena needs to be careful tonight. She doesn't want to wake up to an article about how wasted she is. Or that she's a closeted lesbian. One big revelation at a time will keep things at LCorp stable enough for her to do her job. 

 

"Wow, working for Cat Grant must be exciting." 

 

"She's great. I could set up a meeting with you two if you'd like to meet. Hotshot CEOs should stick together." James is decent at networking, Lena will have to remember that. She'd also rather die than be in the presence of someone who would unravel her like a ragdoll and uncover just about anything about her past. 

 

"Sure, maybe," Lena lies. 

 

"No work talk." Finally, Alex is here. And upon seeing just how great Alex looks in those jeans, Lena is almost thankful that Alex sits next to Lucy and across the table. Alex looks a little sweaty. The warmth has expanded her veins, and Lena can see them pulsing as she takes a deep breath. Alex grabs a shot, raises it at Lena, and winks before downing it. 

 

Jack actually looks surprised that someone would be so brazen, but based on the way that Alex is interacting with everyone, Lena is starting to feel like maybe she gets a little friendly when she's tipsy. Which isn't a bad thing, it just means that Alex and Lucy keep touching each other's arms playfully, and Lena is starting to feel like she's missing something. “Alex, darling, where’s your sister?”

 

“Oh, she’s…” Alex looks around the room. “Kissing everyone’s ass probably.” 

 

“She’s good at that,” Lucy jokes. 

 

“You know her well?” Vasquez questions, looking at Lucy curiously. 

 

“Yeah, we grew up together,” Lucy explains. “All three of us went to the same high school.” 

 

“You’re shitting me. You never said anything.” Vasquez looks like she’s just uncovered lost treasure. Lena has just begun putting two and two together. Lucy must be the friend that has just come back into Alex’s life. And the way she’s been messed up over it, they have some history. “No wonder you guys are so good at partner drills.” 

 

“Good point,” Lucy says looking at Alex pointedly. 

 

“So, what were you guys like back then?” Vasquez seems to be saying just about everything that Lena is thinking, and she’s thankful that she doesn’t have to appear desperate for information, and can instead trade glances with Jack. 

 

“Lucy hung out with the cool kids, I didn’t.”

 

“You hung out with me if that counts.” Lucy looks a little less happy to share that information. Alex tenses up and even though Lena has been quite comfortable fading into the background and taking her shots in peace, she decides that maybe she should free Alex from this situation.    
  


“What’s the game you wanted to show me?” Alex perks up and Lena knows that she made the right choice. 

 

“Come on.” Alex slides out of her seat and grabs Lena’s hand. Lena does not mind being lead through the crowd, she doesn’t even mind that Alex has brought her to some game called ‘Space Invaders’, but she realizes that she does mind that Alex releases her hand when they arrive there. Alex is positively giddy. Lena has to keep a safe distance otherwise she’ll find herself leaning in too close to the other woman. “I assume you’ve never played.” 

 

“You’d be assuming correctly.” Alex basically places Lena in front of the game and watches her with a grin. Alex puts two quarters into the machine and it starts up. 

 

“Basically, this game rocks. All you have to do is shoot down the invaders and not die.” Alex places Lena’s hand on some nob thing and lets her try and fail miserably at playing. Alex is having way too much fun, Lena notes, but she’s a good sport about it. “You’d think a super genius would be able to figure out something as simple as an arcade game.” 

 

“Funny.” 

 

“Thanks for getting me out of that situation back there.” Alex looks sheepish, Lena shrugs like it was nothing. Which, really, Lena would hope that Alex would do the same thing for her. Alex was in the business of protecting Lena, she would think it would go both ways. 

 

“Lucy’s the friend? The one that had you all messed up?” 

 

“Yeah.”

 

“But you two seem alright now.” 

 

“On the surface, yes.” Alex takes over and starts playing the game. “What’s the deal with your friend Jack?” 

 

“That’s a loaded question.” 

 

“I mean...like, he flew all the way out here to look out for you?” Lena can hear the underlying question. What about the rest of your family?

 

“Jack and I have been through a lot together. He’s always been supportive of me and I’ve been the same for him. Our families are very...strict about certain things.” Alex idles on the game, more focused on Lena than on her high score. “One time my mother threatened to disown me. No money, no connections…and I went to Jack.” Lena tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “When you’re that low and think you have nothing, the people you want to keep around, that tells you a lot about priorities.” 

 

“I know the feeling.” 

 

“You do?” Lena doesn’t want to sound too shocked, because she doesn’t know much about Alex’s life, and she shouldn't presume to. But that feeling, the notion that you might just be alone in this, that’s not something Lena thinks can be faked. And honestly, if Alex understands the way that feels, then Lena is ready to be as open and as free with her as she can. 

 

“Unfortunately, I’ve had some shitty experiences with trusting the wrong people.” Alex looks at Lena for a long moment. “You can trust me.” 

 

“Alex…”

 

“I know that this is crazy. The DEO, you’re a fucking CEO of a multibillion-dollar company. I know...none of this makes sense.” Lena knows that Alex’s voice sounds different, she knows that Alex is opening up to her in a way that should normally take years to build up to. Lena will be fighting to replicate this moment for a long time, but now, Alex is there. Standing in front of her and being beautiful and soft, and Lena can’t for the life of her figure out why. “I think we’re on the verge of something huge. Sometimes I look around and I feel like I’m the only person who notices, but...you do. You do right?”

 

“Yes.” 

 

“Good.” Lena isn’t sure that it’s good, but it is wonderful to know that Alex sees her as an ally, if not a friend. Alex looks serious again. Like she’d been in a drunken haze before and Lena fears that maybe she’ll go back to being distant. Instead, she looks at Lena like the world is falling apart around them, she opens her mouth to say something but is suddenly dead silent. 

 

Lena follows Alex’s eyes to a blonde woman. The same woman from Alex’s Instagram. It’s her sister, Kara. “Alex, are you kidding?” Lena realizes that the reason Kara looks so distraught is because of her. Kara doesn’t like her and it feels like a blow to Lena’s gut. She hadn’t had a single bad experience in National City until right now. “Are you drunk?”

 

“She’s fine-.”

 

“I wasn’t asking you,” Kara snaps in a way that lets Lena know that she should back down. 

 

“Kara, chill the fuck out.” Alex’s sternness worries Lena. She’s seen her tense, but this is more than that. This is as much about Lena as it is about something that’s boiling between these two. “Kara, this is Lena-.” 

 

“I know who you are.” The words bite in a sinister way. 

 

“I’ll leave you two alone.” Lena is already planning how she’ll pull Jack away from James. They’ll go back to her place and she’ll cry. Jack will be there because he’s always there, and Lena will manage to keep things professional between her and Alex from now on. But Alex grabs her arm before she can run off and looks her in the eye. 

 

“I’ll be right back, wait for me?” 

 

“Sure.” And despite her better judgement, Lena returns to the table where Lucy and James have broken out into an arm wrestling championship with a group of locals. Jack bumps his shoulder into hers. 

 

“You alright?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“I tried to get some info for you, but all I got was that Alex is apparently straight and that she isn’t close to her family except Kara.” Lena lets that sink in. It makes sense, mostly, and though she isn’t used to waiting for anyone - or caring enough to do so - Lena does wait for Alex to return. 

 

\---

 

Alex loves Kara. She loves her more than anything in this world, she just hates how black and white she seems to view things. It’s great that Kara has passion, but it was killing Alex not to tell her the truth. If Kara knew that Lena was, in fact, pro-alien she wouldn’t have acted like that back there. Alex knows that she’s holding back on information, but she shouldn’t have to tell her sister not to be a total tool to one of her customers. 

 

Alex was practically stewing by the time they got to the stockroom and Kara noticed. “What are you doing talking to Lena Luthor?” 

 

“Kara, it’s none of your business,” Alex warns. Kara is pretending to be busy with gathering supplies, but Alex knows she’s just as angry. “I’m working with her. Security.” 

 

“The FBI is protecting her? How about all the aliens that she’s-.” 

 

“Kara, stop acting like you know the whole story because you don’t, by the way. And she’s not...she’s not who you think she is. Her family sucks, she doesn’t.” Alex rests against one of the shelving units. “This is supposed to be a good day, don’t ruin it by being an ass.” 

 

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. About that and Lucy.” 

 

“Sometimes, I need to keep things to myself. You tell mom everything and I need space. You know that.” 

 

“Alex, I want you to trust me. I’m sorry if I made you feel like you couldn’t.” Kara turns and faces Alex. “We’ve been growing apart for a long time. I know, some things happened, but...I moved out here to be your sister again.” That makes Alex feel a hint of shame, maybe some anger is mixed in there too. Mostly, she just wants to get out of this stuffy room and join her friends again. 

 

“I will always be your sister. I just need to figure out a few things.”

 

“With...Lucy?” 

 

“What?”

 

“Alex…” Kara sticks her hands in her pockets. “I’m not that stupid. I know that you two snuck around a lot. If it was just fooling around then that’s fine, but if it’s something more-.” 

 

“That was a long time ago.” 

 

“So?” Kara isn’t pressuring her, she knows that, but it’s still a struggle not to feel like Eliza and Jeremiah are in the room with them. Alex has to remind herself that her parents do love her, it just feels like they love Kara more. They allowed her to take a gap year; they paid for her college tuition, they even loaned Kara the startup money for the bar. All Alex got were calls to remind her to study extra hard or to let them know if she was seeing someone. They knew the same lie as Kara, about her working for the “FBI”, but they never bothered to ask about it. Never bothered to check in and see how she was doing. If they did, they would’ve known about how scared she feels about ending up alone. They’d know that she had a really difficult time being away from home in college and that she did get a job right away, but that she had to take Adderall to stay up and complete her homework. They’d know about Carrie, the girl who outed Alex to her whole chemistry class in college. They’d know it all, but they knew nothing, and Alex had to live with that. 

 

“It was nothing.” 

 

“Okay. It doesn’t seem like that to her.” Kara shrugs. “She seems interested.” Kara gives Alex a reassuring smile. “That’s all I’ll say about it.” 

 

“Thank you.” 

 

“No problem.” They start walking toward the door. “But seriously, next time you happen to be hanging out with a celebrity, promise to give me a warning.” 

 

“She’s not really a celebrity. I mean, sorta, but...she doesn’t act like it,” Alex explains. “And yes, I promise.” Kara dives right back into work, Alex wades through the crowd in search of her friends. When she gets back to the table, Jack is doing a demonstration about tucking in shirts. Lucy is pouring two more shot glasses for Vasquez and James, and Lena is nowhere to be found. 

 

Alex starts to worry. She hopes that Lena hasn’t left yet, so she walks up to Jack. “Hey, where’s Lena?”

 

“She went to get some air. She’s probably bummed a smoke by now.” Jack checks his watch and steps away from the group he was previously entertaining. “I’ll come with.” Alex leads the way out of the bar and after nudging through the crowd, Alex and Jack find Lena just a few feet away, leaning against the wall and smoking. 

 

She looks stunning. Alex had certainly noticed before, but something about her casual lean, staring off into the distance was smoke billowing up around her...Alex had to clear her head before she approaches. Jack takes the cigarette from between Lena’s fingers with a laugh. “I thought you quit.” 

 

“This is a normal social smoking situation.” Lena just now seems to notice Alex and she seems much more hesitant. “Is everything alright with your sister?” 

 

“Yeah, she was being a bitch. Sorry about that.” Alex leans against the wall next to Lena, the fact that she’s standing this close to the other woman at all clues her in that she must be drunker than she realized. “Want me to beat her up?” 

 

“That won’t be necessary.” Lena is much colder than she had been when it was just them. Jack must notice too because he keeps nudging Lena’s shoulder. “We should probably get going.” 

 

“Nonsense, the night’s still young.” 

 

“Jack-,” Lena starts, but Jack pokes Alex’s arm, interrupting her. 

 

“Alex, can I ask you something?” Jack questions. Alex nods because she doesn’t know how to get rid of him so that she can ask Lena if she’s alright. “What’s the best way to get a date in this city?” 

 

“I’m not sure.” 

 

“I mean, you must understand, Lena needs discrete,” Jack explains. 

 

“Suddenly, we’re talking about me, are we?” Lena doesn’t look happy, Alex isn’t certain if she should speak up. “Ignore him, Alex.”

 

“Okay.” Alex really doesn’t mind either way. “Lena, I’m sorry about what happened inside,” Alex whispers in Lena’s ear. Jack looks giddy, Alex is worried that she’s made another mistake. 

 

“I should get out of here. James was seconds away from asking me to go home with him. You two have fun, go easy on Lena.” Jack leans toward Alex and stage-whispers, “She’s a delicate little bottom.” 

 

“Fuck off!” Lena yells, smacking Jack’s shoulder. He howls with laughter, Alex tries not to blush. “He’s so annoying.” 

 

“He’s funny,” Alex corrects. “I’m amazed he would think that I would have the skill to convince someone like you to have sex with me.” 

 

“You, apparently, haven’t looked in a mirror tonight.” Alex realizes right away that the alcohol had definitely caught up with them at the exact same time. It’s why she found herself leaning against Lena’s side. It’s why Lena would compliment her like that. “You should take a day off next week.” 

 

“I would, but if I’m not working with your team, I’m at the DEO, you aren’t exactly my boss.” 

 

“Who is?”

 

“Hank, technically, but because he and Lucy are in the same division, I guess Lucy too.” 

 

“Really? She is?” Lena is surprised that Lucy outranks Alex, but now it makes more sense why Lucy had a say in a lot of their arrangements. “You two act like...I don’t know, more like equals. She trusts you.” 

 

“She should, we’ve been through a lot.” Alex runs her fingers through her hair. “But I guess you could override them. Say you need me in your lab.” 

 

“That would be lying.” 

 

“It would give us a chance to talk more about the portal.” Lena’s eyes widen. “Unless you don’t want to.” 

 

“Are you kidding? I would love to, I just can’t believe you-.” 

 

“What?” 

 

“You seemed so against it earlier,” Lena explains. 

 

“I figured it would probably be a bad idea to get you involved in something like that.” 

 

“And now you feel differently?”

 

“Fuck it.” Alex shrugs. That was the attitude she needed to go through life with from now on. Kara just commented on the nature of Lucy and Alex’s relationship history, a history that Alex thought had been completely private. Lena fucking Luthor was sort of her boss, and after a week of working for her, Alex was now asking for help on a secret and highly illegal project. None of this was the way it was supposed to be, but there had to be a reason for this, Alex rationalized. “What do I have to lose?” 

 

“Everything,” Lena tells her, but she looks as casual about doing some crazy as Alex feels. “And I rather enjoy your ‘fuck it’ attitude. It suits you.” 

 

“And you’d know what suits me?” Alex doesn't’ want to sound like an asshole, and while she might not be the most compelling person in the world, there were certainly complexities in her life. Things that made her run and hide. Right now, she didn’t want to run or hide. Right now, Lena Luthor seemed like the kind of friend Alex could use. 

 

“It goes both ways, don’t forget that. You did pick out my outfit for my first major appearance.” Lena smiles. “And you’re the reason I changed the name of my entire company, so there’s that too.” 

 

“Right. How’d your family take that by the way?” Lena hadn’t mentioned any repercussions, but it wasn’t the kind of thing that went unnoticed. 

 

“My mother lost her damn mind.” Lena laughs. “It was brilliant. You’re brilliant.” Alex blushes because she’s used to people calling her a nerd or a geek, rarely something she’d been striving for her whole life. Lena smiles at Alex again, this time Alex does notice a slight shift in her demeanor. Something like the whole world freezing and gravity pulling them together. “I’m going to have a wicked hangover tomorrow,” Lena says suddenly, and just like that, the spell is broken. 

 

“I’ve got a secret cure if you’re interested.” 

 

“Sounds intriguing.” Alex motions for Lena to follow her and soon they break free of the crowd, and the cool night air feels wonderful against Alex’s skin. Alex nearly regrets bringing Lena to a place that’s this close to her apartment. The urge to forgo the convenience store and just invite Lena up to her apartment is strong, but she resists and pretends it’s only because she’s drunk. 

 

When they enter the convenience store, Niko is scrolling through his phone at the register like he always is. When he spots Alex, his face lights up, and he leans forward to show her some Tinder profile he’s just matched with. “She’s cute, no? What should I say?” 

 

“I don’t know. I’m useless when it comes to shit like that.” Niko looks pointedly at Lena. 

 

“You sure about that?” Niko pulls his phone back and then eyes Lena again. “Holy shit, you’re...that person!” Alex laughs and urges Lena along, trying to search for what they came here for, not listen to Niko’s antics.

 

“Yes, I’m that person,” Lena tells him playfully. “Who exactly do you think I am?” Lena has stopped following Alex and instead, she’s leaning on the counter across from Niko. 

 

“I saw your speech. You were awesome, a big ol’ fuck you to your family, huh? I like that.” Niko scrolls through his phone excitedly. “I followed you on Instagram, immediately. Hey, Alex!” Alex has grabbed two deli sandwiches, gum, and two bottles of water by now. She places the items on the counter. “What’s Lena Luthor doing with a dork like you.” 

 

“Your friend’s an ass,” Lena says to Alex, who is comfortable enough with Niko’s antics, to shrug them off.  

 

“I know.” Alex and Niko say in unison. 

 

“Oh! How about a selfie?” Niko suggests. “Food’s free if you say yes.” 

 

“Don’t pressure her,” Alex warns. 

 

“I don’t mind.” Lena gets closer to the counter and Niko snaps a selfie. She doesn’t bother checking the photo because Niko seems so genuinely excited about it, that it might be decent. Alex grabs two chocolate bars and leans over the counter to grab a bag to put her loot in. “This is the cure?” 

 

“It is, trust me.” Alex hands Lena a sandwich before they wave goodbye to Niko and head outside. They find a bench nearby and dig into their sandwiches, which are just as wonderful and greasy as they always are. “Good, right?”

 

“Exceptional.” 

 

“Now is probably not the best time to say this,” Alex starts. “But considering the night I’m having, it seems right.” Alex takes a deep breath, Lena waits. “My parents weren’t really all that into me being a dreamer. They wanted stability, order...cookie-cutter bullshit.”

 

“And you don’t?” 

 

“No, I actually prefer a bit of chaos.” Alex toils with the foil wrapping of her sandwich. It’s right now that Alex notices that there’s no one walking around. It’s late, a little after one, but it feels like Lena and Alex are the only people in National City tonight. “I’m a dreamer. Through and through.” 

 

“That’s a recipe for heartbreak.”

 

“Been there, done that.” Alex takes another bite of her sandwich. “There’s a better world, Lena, somewhere...somehow.”

 

“Jesus Christ.” Lena closes her eyes tight. She looks like she’s in pain or like Alex has just ruined her bliss. Instead, Lena opens her eyes, pulls out her phone, and quickly orders her car service. 

 

“Sorry, did I do something wrong?” 

 

“No.” Lena stands and waits closer to the street. Alex stays put. 

 

“Kinda seems like it.” 

 

“No, Alex…” Lena lets out a breath. “I’m leaving because...you’re such a wonderful person. I don’t trust the DEO, I don’t trust anyone really, but for some reason, I’m trusting you without a second thought. That’s a problem for someone like me.”

 

“Don’t be so dramatic.” 

 

“Thanks.”

 

“That’s your family talking,” Alex warns her. It’s a stupid thing to say to someone who is clearly dealing with a lot all at once. Alex’s emotions have come into this, even though she’d been trying to keep her distance. Whatever reserve she had, has officially failed. Now Alex needs to do the thing that she’s always been afraid of. She’d never quite been able to find a way to be open with Kara, her parents, or even Lucy. Every relationship Alex had was tentative. 

 

But Alex sees something different here. She sees Lena for who she really is. Someone who is just as terrified as Alex is that the world is exactly how it seems. Lena’s seen darkness, in the world and in herself, and just as Alex had been trying to find the light for her whole adult life, Lena needed the same thing. “I’d love to just sit in my lab running boring blood tests and studying plant life, but that’s not the world we live in. This world is changing right in front of our eyes. And, fuck it, this world needs heroes right now. And that means you and me.”

 

“You really are a dreamer.”

 

“Yeah? So are you.” Lena crosses her arms over her chest. Her car is driving down the street and Alex doesn’t have much time. Her plea has come off too desperate, too lofty. She’s half expecting Lena to fire her, right there on the spot. “I don’t want to be whatever bullshit my family expects of me.”

 

“That would be a tragedy. Taking all of these wild parts of you and hiding them away.” Lena’s car stops in front of her, Alex is afraid she won’t get an answer. “Chaos it is then.” 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't you just love when two emotionally unavailable people realize that they have too many emotions to function? Anyway, Lena and Alex are the science girlfriends we deserve, and you can tell the CW that I said so. Next chapter picks up the intensity at the DEO and in LCorp labs, with a special appearance...you'll just have to wait and see.
> 
> In honor of the fact that I watched Cutthroat Kitchen while writing this chapter, what are your favorite Food Network shows?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all are wonderful, so I tried my best to get this chapter up as soon as possible. I hope you enjoy!

Alex debates developing a whole plan about being sick. She considers coughing dramatically until someone just tells her to leave, but it sounds like a lot of work, and because she’s someone who has done her job well for a long time, it all seems unnecessary. She wants to go to Hank to ask for a day off. Lucy will throw jokes at her until Alex bites and that will do very little to calm her nerves. Hank, of course, is busy in some stupid administrative meeting when she goes to the offices upstairs, and just when Alex is about to write a note explaining that she’s taking the day off, Lucy swoops into the room carrying a stack of papers. “Oh, hey.” Lucy plops the documents down on her desk. Lucy looks annoyed, not at Alex per se, but there is a general sense of anger radiating off her body. 

 

Lucy has a temper. Which would surprise most people because she was so damn good at hiding it, but Alex knew. It frustrated Alex how well she still knew the woman standing in front of her. “What’s wrong?” Lucy’s eyes dart up to Alex and then immediately back down to the papers. 

 

“Nothing.” Lucy takes a seat at her desk and starts sorting through the papers. “Everything okay?” 

 

“Yeah. I was just coming in to ask for a day off.” Alex, now, feels a little embarrassed. Alex is trying to play hooky so she and a billionaire can toy with an experiment that will probably never work, and Lucy is...clearly going through something. 

 

“Alex, you know you don’t have to ask. You’re reliable, we need you at the DEO, take the day off.” Lucy sounds more like she wants to get rid of her. And something about that sinks heavy into Alex’s stomach. She studies Lucy, debating her next move. 

 

“I won’t go if you need me here.” 

 

“Why would I need you?” The words bite and sting and it feels like an onslaught when really it’s just Lucy shutting her out. Alex bites her tongue, she doesn’t want to get into this, not as they’re trying their best to build their friendship back to something that either one of them can recognize. “You don’t have to tell me everything you’re doing. If you need time off, then take time.” 

 

“Lucy, what’s going on-?”

 

“Nothing. Which is what I just told you.” 

 

“Okay. Fine.” Alex doesn’t want to fight, she doesn’t have it in her. Lucy’s eyes look somber as Alex retreats and heads to the locker room. It dawns on Alex, almost suddenly, that she doesn’t know how to fight with someone if she isn’t sure she can win. She used to fight with Eliza, but Alex had all but killed that relationship. With Kara, there’s rarely winning or losing, just finding a compromise, and basically...those were the only people in her life. Lucy was the reminder that Alex couldn’t outrun everything. 

 

After getting changed into street clothes, which for Alex, mostly meant swapping a lab coat for a forest green bomber jacket, Alex gets on her bike and heads to LCorp. She isn’t one hundred percent sure that she should just barge into LCorp without setting up a meeting or coordinating a time that works for Lena. She’s a busy woman after all, but Alex knows that Lena is expecting her to show up sometime today, so why not now? 

 

Thankfully, Jess is sitting at her desk outside of Lena’s office, and she greets Alex with a warm smile and a wave like she has every day that Alex has worked here. Alex could almost hug her. Seeing such a stark contrast to Lucy is a welcome distraction, especially if that distraction is someone who currently has a box of donuts on their desk. “Good to see you again, Alex.” 

 

“Likewise, Jess.” Alex continues to eye the donuts and if Jess has noticed then she really is playing things cool. “Is Lena...I mean, is Ms. Luthor busy?” Jess clicks a few buttons on her commuter, presumably looking through Lena’s calendar. Which Alex also has. Which is something Alex forgot because Lucy was being so rude earlier. 

 

“She should just be finishing up with her PR team if you don’t mind waiting.” 

 

“I don’t mind.” Instead of taking the seat right outside of Lena’s office, she grabs a chair and pulls it in front of Jess’s desk. Jess smiles, seemingly unsure of whether or not she should talk to Alex or continue working on her computer. “So...what’s with the donuts?” 

 

“Oh.” Jess laughs. “A gift from one of yours. Feel free to have one...or like eight.” Jess slides the box over to Alex and Alex absolutely does not hesitate to grab two. Jess seems entertained or at the very least charmed as Alex crams fried dough into her face. From their brief run-ins, Alex has quickly learned that even though there is a door that separates Lena’s office from the rest of the world, there is almost no separation between Jess and Lena. Jess is often in meetings, helping Lena debrief afterward, or is simply there to help alleviate some of the pressure. Lena has said on more than one occasion that she couldn’t do this job without her and that makes Alex happy that Lena has someone else in her life that she can trust. 

 

It also makes Alex regret bringing Lena in on her project. Lena will have to lie and she’ll need to be good at it, which - Alex supposes - she is. Even though Alex is currently chewing on a blueberry cake donut, all Alex can really think about is the last time she saw Lena. Kara’s grand opening was grand and Alex was having tons of fun even before Lena showed up. And then suddenly, Lena was there and Alex was trying her best to keep things professional. To show Lena a good time without overstepping. But Lena was painfully beautiful and it was getting harder and harder for Alex’s eyes not to wander. “Who brought you these?” 

 

“Oh. One of the IT people that came over to set up all the internet security measures. Susan, I think.” Alex nods and makes a mental note to thank Vasquez for going out of her way to be nice. Things were going really well with the DEO - LCorp partnership so far, and small things like bringing donuts to Lena’s secretary wouldn’t hurt. 

 

Lena’s office door opens behind Alex and a flood of suits walk out, chatting, checking emails on their phones, and generally being in good spirits. As the crowd passes by, Alex tries to spot Lena, but only manages to see a flash of red inside her office. “You can head in. She doesn’t have much scheduled for the rest of the day.” Alex stands, wipes her hands on her pants, and heads into Lena’s office.

 

The flash of red, as it turns out, is Lena’s outfit: a crimson red over the shoulder top with a patterned pencil skirt. Alex wonders, not for the first time, if Lena secretly has a personal stylist because she always looks  _ this  _ good. Alex, in contrast, has donut crumbs on her jeans. “Alex! I didn’t know you’d be in so early.” Lena abandons whatever she was doing near her desk and instead leans against the sleek metallic frame. “My day just got much better.”

 

“If you’re busy…”

 

“I’m not. Just finished the most boring meeting of my life. I’m happy you’re here.” Lena tugs at her hair tie and lets her hair fall over her shoulders. The way she leans back and rubs her fingers against her scalp, lets Alex know that Lena needs a break. “I’ve got a few free hours if you want to go to the lab?”

 

“Yeah, if you’re up for it. I brought some notes.” Alex points to her backpack which is slung over one of her shoulders. 

 

“Great. Give me...one second.” Lena goes behind her desk, grabs a notepad, a pen, and her water bottle. “Ready.” This time, when they go down to the lab, Alex pays less attention to everyone’s reaction to Lena and much more attention to Lena herself. She seems to be in a decent mood, not thrilled to be at work, but certainly not upset. And when they get on the elevator to go down to the lab, Lena seems to release whatever facade she was putting on before, and she finally looks like she’s breathing again. 

 

“What’s going on?” 

 

“Oh, it’s...nothing.” Alex would never push but it doesn’t stop her from being curious. Whatever Lena is annoyed about, it - surprisingly - does not carry over into the lab. The moment they get through the doors, Lena is a ball of restless energy. She rolls her sleeves up unceremoniously, tosses her notepad on the table, and looks to Alex like she’s waiting for instructions. 

 

“Hm, I guess I’m not used to actually working in a lab with someone else.” 

 

“Well, go easy on me. It’s been one of those weeks.” Alex feels a little foolish for not stopping by and checking in on Lena. Alex trusted the security detail that she’d put together but perhaps Lena wanted Alex to stop by, just to remind her that she was there. “Jack left for New York yesterday.” 

 

“What?” 

 

“Well, it was just a little vacation. He really shouldn’t have stayed as long as he did. But it was nice having him here.” Alex pulls her notes out of her backpack, sensing that now would be a good time to distract Lena. “As annoying as he is,” Lena adds playfully. 

 

“If you need someone to help out or...whatever, just call.” 

 

“Oh, there’s no need to bore you with my misery.” Lena takes a look at Alex’s notes on what materials might work for the portal. She makes some notes of her own. “You know, I was thinking...the material that we use to construct the circumference of the portal, maybe we’ll need something sturdier for the base?”

 

“Possibly. What were you thinking?”

 

“We might have to fabricate something.” Alex is astounded by how quickly Lena dives into the work. She doesn’t bat an eye at the idea of having to create a whole new metal to work with. Possibility excites her and Alex feels the same way. 

 

They’re having so much fun. Alex feels so young and happy moving around this lab trying to alter the course of the universe. It’s no small feat, but it’s a start. It doesn’t hurt that Lena is very easy to work with. She’s usually quiet, but when she’s considering factors or drawing diagrams on her whiteboard, she hums. At first, Alex assumes it’s a random tune. A string of notes looped together as a way of passing the time. But then Alex starts to recognize the song and it makes her laugh. “What?” Lena asks, looking over her shoulder at Alex. 

 

“You like The Smiths?” 

 

“Is that what I’m humming?” 

 

“Yeah.” Alex smiles. “It just seems exceptionally dark. Not what I would’ve expected.” 

 

“I suppose it’s one of those annoying things I picked up from Lex.” This is the first time Lena has mentioned Lex by name. Alex, obviously, knows the story. Or, at least, she knows the popular version of the story. Lex and Lillian ran LCorp, Lex embezzled funds and funneled money into anti-alien corporations, and Lillian supposedly looked the other way. Lex barely got a slap on the wrist but he did have to step down as CEO which is when Lillian took over the Metropolis office and Lena moved to National City. 

 

It’s the kind of scandal that Alex and Kara normally chatted about over dinner, but ever since she’d met Lena, Alex had decided to remain neutral on the matter. Her brother and mother were accused of these crimes, not Lena, and Alex didn’t want to get caught up in the past. 

 

“How is your brother?” 

 

“Wow.” Lena puts a cap on her marker and stares at Alex for a long moment. “You must be the first person who has asked me that.” Lena looks off balance. “I’m sure there’s some information about how he is in one of the hundreds of files the DEO has on me.” 

 

“Fuck the files. I’m asking you.” 

 

“He’s in Cabo, I think. He’s dicking around, actually, waiting until this all blows over.” Lena and Alex both know that it won’t. “Don’t get me wrong. I am the CEO, but he still has his hands on the corporation. Like that meeting with my PR team, that was orchestrated by Lex.”

 

“What did they say?” Alex and Lena are only a few feet apart but it feels like miles. “A DEO representative should’ve been there. What does Lex want you to do?” 

 

“Are you asking as a  _ DEO representative _ ?” 

 

“I’m asking because I care about you and I don’t want Lex to try and control you. You’re your own person.” Lena nods. Instead of Alex having to tentatively approach Lena, it’s Lena who approaches her. She leans against the table that Alex has been working on, Alex can feel her own knee grazing the fabric of Lena’s skirt. She tries not to notice.

 

“My PR Team, who basically only cared about my wardrobe for the past six years, have now suddenly taken a keen interest in my tabloid presence.” Lena rolls her eyes. “They told me that I need to go out more. That’s a direct quote. And they’d like me to be in photos with more men.”

 

“More men?” 

 

“Yes, apparently most of my tabloid photos are too boring. People need something to talk about. I got some  _ great  _ suggestions about what beach I should go to, how revealing my swimsuit should be, and which National City sports stars are available.” Lena scoffs, it seems like this suggestion is much more upsetting than Alex would’ve guessed. Alex doesn’t have to face the same kinds of pressures as Lena, but compared to what the DEO typically asks of her, this seems rather typical. Lena, on the other hand, is clearly taking this personally and Alex has to wonder if there’s more to this. “Lex knows exactly how to hurt me.”

 

“How can I help?” 

 

“Feel free to find my brother and kick his ass,” Lena suggests. “I don’t have to do everything he says, but he can apply pressures in other ways. So, I should pick and choose my battles. Do you know any eligible bachelors?”

 

“Not really. Any even if I did, I’m not going to help be a part of torturing you.” Alex thinks for a long moment. “So, what about something more doable?” 

 

“Like what?” 

 

“Catco?”

 

“Oh, fuck.” Lena sounds angry, but a smile breaks out across her face. They both know this is a good choice, Lena just isn’t ready to say so. 

 

“I’ve got an in. Cat Grant might be a little pushy, but James would do a good photo spread,” Alex tells her. “It’s a good way to have a casual and personal interview and to get your face out there too.”

 

“My face and body, specifically.”

 

“Well, yes, but I don’t think anyone will be complaining.” Alex blushes at her own words, she starts to wonder if it’s possible to still be drunk from Saturday. Lena doesn’t like half as shocked as Alex was expecting, and that quells Alex’s nerves a little. “Come on, it’ll be fun.” 

 

“I’ll do it if you come with me.” Alex didn’t expect that as a response and it must show on her face. “What? I don’t want my other security guards seeing me in whatever ridiculous outfit this friend of yours is going to put me in. It’s your idea so you’re not allowed to judge me.”

 

“As long as I don’t have to sit in on the interview.” Lena nods enthusiastically. Alex considers high fiving her. They’ve accomplished something whole countries can barely do: compromise. “Cat Grant intimidates the shit out of me.”

 

“That’s just a word people use to describe powerful women.” 

 

“Most people, yes, but not me. I’m around powerful women a lot. You, for example, don’t intimate me.” 

 

“Damn, I’ve got to up my game.” Lena scoots closer to Alex. “What about me isn’t intimidating?” 

 

“Look, I might be an outlier. I’m just not intimidated by women who are wearing clothes that aren’t conducive to beating me up.” Lena kicks off her heels and crosses her arms over her chest. “Now you’re just shorter.” Lena goes to whack Alex’s shoulder, but Alex grabs her hand before she can even think about it. 

 

It does occur to Alex how truly strange things are becoming between them. Alex is using her day off to - yes, work on her project - hang out with Lena. And even though Alex also has a complicated relationship with Lucy, her other boss, things with Lena feel so different. For starters, at the DEO people touch. It’s a thing, whether it’s sparring or messing around, the atmosphere is usually loose. Alex and Lucy have sparred and it didn’t cause any trouble for them. But at LCorp, everything is business all the time. At most, people shake hands. People don’t grab their bosses hand and they certainly don’t keep holding it, like Alex was doing right now. 

 

“Nice try.” 

 

“You’ve got good reflexes.”

 

“Part of the job.” Alex is still hanging on and for some reason, Lena is letting her. The room practically feels like an inferno. When did they go from standing on opposite sides of the lab to Alex wondering if now would be a good time to push her hand between Lena’s legs? “Um…” Alex lets out a breath. “Have you eaten?” 

 

“What?” Lena looks like she’s just been pulled from a daze. 

 

“Did you have lunch?” 

 

“Oh, no. I did have one of those devilishly delicious donuts though.” Lena pulls her hand back, not fast, just so that she could place her hand on the table. “What about you? I’ll order something.” 

 

“I was going to offer.”

 

“Nonsense, I’ll get something.” Lena walks across the room, grabs her phone, and starts scrolling through  _ Postmates _ . “Actually you choose, I’m way too new here to pick something good.” 

 

“I’m not sure we’ll have the same tastes.” Alex is used to greasy and cheap, neither of which seems up Lena’s alley. 

 

“I’m not a snob,” Lena hands her phone to Alex. “Not about food, at least.” Alex takes the phone and starts scrolling. “You don’t think I’m a snob, do you?” 

 

“No.”  _ Only a little _ . 

 

“Liar.” 

 

“I saw your liquor, it was a little...snobby.” Alex shrugs. “It’s not a bad thing. You have good tastes.” 

 

“How about this? After I arrange an interview with Cat Grant and do this stupid photoshoot, let’s grab some beers. You pick the dive bar,” Lena suggests. Alex knows this is crossing a line, but they’ve already crossed it, and Alex would love to see Lena in a dive bar. 

 

“You’re on,” Alex orders something between late night greasy and mid-day casual and hopes that Lena likes it. As Alex is handing Lena back her phone, she sees a notification that another person has liked one of Lena’s Instagram posts. Based on all the other notifications, it’s clear that Lena is very popular. “You know...Tabloids are great and so are headlining articles, but you really should focus on your social media.” 

 

“Oh, you’re an expert?”

 

“Not at all. But it’s the easiest way to show your personal side. Candids make you seem approachable, even if they aren’t candid.” Alex motions to the lab equipment. “You should take more pictures in the lab. People love nerdy girls.” 

 

“You’re nerdy. Do people like that about you?” 

 

“Not sure. I don’t have quite the public presence though. You, on the other hand…” Alex smiles. “Well, you get the point.” 

 

“So far your advice hasn’t failed me. More candids it is, though, without Jack around, it’s going to be a struggle to find my good angles.” Lena checks her phone mindlessly, looking through the horde of likes and comments she’s still getting from the last photo she’d taken with Jack. 

 

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem.” 

 

“This is why I enjoy having you around, Alex. You always know exactly what to say.” Before Alex can warn Lena that she isn’t always this confident and rarely knows the right thing to say, Lena gets a notification that their food has arrived. “Shit.” 

 

“I’ll go grab it.”  Alex hustles out of the lab, up to the elevator, and to the reception area where a Dudebro is waiting for her. She grabs the food and spends the whole journey back downstairs trying to figure out why she’s been acting so differently when it comes to Lena. Part of it, Alex realizes, is Lucy. Well, Lucy by proxy. Alex could easily suppress her desires just a few months ago. She might go to a dark club, get lost in the sweaty bodies, and maybe find a woman who wasn’t picky about going anywhere but the bathroom stall to fuck. But Lucy’s arrival had spurred on something else. A desire to connect with another person, intimately and emotionally and somehow Lena was getting roped into that. 

 

When Alex gets back downstairs she realizes that she doesn’t have the code to enter the lab, so she has to knock. Lena opens it with a genuine laugh. “I need to give you the access codes for everything. Remind me to do that tomorrow.” It’s such a tech-heavy way to say  _ I trust you _ , but still, the words resonate. 

 

They sit and Alex hands Lena her sandwich and hearty salad, while Alex pulls the burger she’d gotten for herself. “Those fries look good,” Lena says eyeing the crispy steak fries that came with Alex’s meal. 

 

“Here.” Alex slides the styrofoam container closer to Lena. “Have some.”

 

“You’re a sharer?”

 

“I have a sister. Comes with the territory.” 

 

“How is your sister? Still anti-Luthor, I presume.” 

 

“Maybe. But that doesn’t mean anti-you,” Alex explains. “The name isn’t who you are. And my sister will come around.”

 

“How do I wrap you up and take you home with me?” Lena jokes. “I’m not keeping you from anything?” Even if she was, Alex thinks, Lena could absolutely have her. “Or anyone.”

 

“Uh...no, you’re good.” 

 

“Good, because I like having you to myself.” 

 

* * *

 

 

Alex has never been to James’s office. Once, she’d gone to Catco to meet James, Winn, and Kara for lunch, but beyond that, she was sorely out of her element. Usually, going into negotiations were simple. Alex knew what she wanted and she knew what the other person wanted, but right now, Alex wasn’t sure if she was calling in a favor or if James was. 

 

Thankfully, James is sitting in his office when Alex arrives and Alex doesn’t have to jump through any hoops to get there. James looks happy to see Alex. He even brushes some photos he’s working on aside in favor of offering Alex some fruit and coffee. He’s ridiculously kind and charming, as always. “What brings you all the way to Catco?” 

 

“Business, actually.” 

 

“Wow, I hope it’s nothing too serious. FBI and all.” James shudders his shoulders a little, Alex understands. When James and Alex first met, they got along well, but as soon as he found out that Alex worked for the “FBI” things changed dramatically. Alex didn’t know James enough to talk to him about it, but she did find that once she went to a few community organizing events and Kara’s monthly meetings about white allyship, she was just scratching the surface of understanding James’s apprehension. They got along better now, but James really didn’t like talking about the FBI. Ever. 

 

“Oh no, everything’s fine. This is actually…” Alex struggled to figure out a way to explain it. “This is about Lena Luthor.” 

 

“National City’s new 'It Girl'. Don’t tell Cat I said that.” James grins. “We’re dying to get an exclusive.”

 

“Well, she’s interested in an interview and a photo shoot.” 

 

“Holy shit, really?” James’s mouth drops open, Alex laughs. 

 

“It’s a PR thing. She needs a boost and you and Cat Grant are the people she might need to get that.” Alex pulls out a contract from her bag and places it in front of James. “This is a contract outlining Ms. Luthor’s preferences for the shoot. You’ll obviously have full creative control, but there are a few stipulations. No nudity, nothing overtly sexual, you get the gist.” 

 

“I’m surprised you’re here to give me this. Last weekend at the Barcade, I kinda thought…” James trails off. He grabs a pen and starts scanning through the contract. “You two seemed more like friends. I didn’t even realize you worked with her.”

 

“I handle her security.” 

 

“Right.” James doesn’t sound convinced and Alex didn’t realize she needed to convince him of anything. “Well, our people will be in touch with Ms. Luthor’s people and blah blah blah, all the boring shit.” 

 

“Thanks, James.”

 

“No, thank you. I’m excited. Will you be here for the shoot?” 

 

“Yep,” James lights up. He hustles over to a footlocker at the edge of the room. He pulls out some fancy looking camera and shows it off to Alex. 

 

“I think I’ll use this. My new baby. I never get to have a friend there as my audience. I’ve got jitters already.” 

 

“We’re friends?” 

 

“Yeah, totally.” Something about that makes Alex feel warm. She always though Winn and James just viewed her as Kara’s sister, nothing more. “Oh, do you need parking validation?” 

 

“Yeah.” 

 

“Go out the door, to your left, and the receptionist should be able to help you.” Alex takes the contract, promises to get James an electronic copy, and makes her way over to the receptionist’s desk. Unfortunately, Cat is standing nearby. She's half ordering the receptionist to do far too many things at once and half tapping away at her phone. Alex tries her best to patiently wait, holding her parking ticket in her hand, but Cat - suddenly - turns and looks up at Alex. 

 

“Who are you?” 

 

“Oh, I’m...I just had a meeting with James. I need parking validation.” Alex looks between Cat Grant and the receptionist for a second. “Didn’t mean to interrupt.” 

 

“Don’t worry. Hm…” Cat takes the ticket out of Alex’s hand and tosses it on her receptionist's desk. Her eyes never leave Alex and it’s just bordering on terrifying when Cat grins. “You’re Ms. Luthor’s bodyguard. You were at her big press conference.”

 

“Yes, I am and yes, I was.” 

 

“James just added an interview to my calendar. Can’t wait to see you again...sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”

 

“Alex, but the interview is for Ms. Luthor, I’m nobody.” 

 

“We’ll see about that, won’t we?” Alex doesn’t understand why everyone is tiptoeing around her like they know something she doesn’t, but Alex is thrilled the moment she gets home and she is able to yank off her shirt, kick her shoes somewhere near her welcome mat, and flop on her couch. It has been a long day, too long, really and it feels nice to relax. Which lasts for six minutes. 

 

Six minutes of pure bliss where everything is good. Alex doesn’t have to pretend to be anything, she can just be a semi-closeted woman who is sort of - fully - attracted to her boss and who is currently watching  _ Grace & Frankie _ . Because this is as calm as Alex’s life ever is. Just a few minutes of freedom before something, or someone, inevitably fucks it up. 

 

So when Alex hears a knock on her door. She fully intends to ignore it. But the knocking continues and Alex is about ready to fight by the time she’s throwing open the door. It’s Lucy. What Alex wants to say is  _ text me, instead of coming to my apartment  _ but she doesn’t because Lucy looks like someone has knocked the life out of her, and all Alex wants to do is hold her. Which she does. It’s like second nature for Alex, she doesn’t know why. “Come in.” Alex shuts off her TV and takes a seat next to Lucy on her couch. Lucy hasn’t said anything yet but Alex knows that whatever it is, it’s not good. “You alright?”

 

“Not really.” 

 

“What can I do?” Lucy shakes her head. She looks at Alex like she doesn’t know how she’s gotten here, she frowns. “Let me help you.”

 

“Alex…” Lucy takes a deep breath. “My dad showed up at the DEO today. Apparently, he’s consulting, and overseeing some changes.” 

 

“Bullshit. Seriously?” Sam Lane is bad news. Alex has known it ever since she was a kid. He was half the reason Alex and Lucy were sneaking around so much. And his conservative views would put Lillian Luthor to shame. “Fuck.” 

 

“It’s okay-.”

 

“It’s not okay. Your dad’s a dick and he’s terrible to you.” So many questions were running through Alex’s mind. Mostly, what kind of changes Sam Lane wanted to implement. “You won’t be working directly with him, will you?”

 

“No, thank God.” 

 

“Good.”

 

“I’m sorry for being so rude earlier. My dad...he makes me a different person.” Lucy looks startled by her own words, Alex looks away from her. “Like when I abandoned you-.”

 

“Lucy. Don’t.”

 

“I can’t imagine how that made you feel-.”

 

“It made me feel like I’d done something wrong. Like no one would ever accept me. You made me feel dirty for who I am.” Alex grabs her shirt and quickly pulls it on, suddenly very conscious about her body and her vulnerability. “I know that your dad’s an asshole, but I would’ve been there for you no matter what.”

 

“I’m sorry.” The last thing Alex wants to do is kick Lucy while she’s down. “I should go.”

 

“Don’t go.” Alex means it. She knows what it’s like to leave angry and feel alone. It makes for terrible and dangerous decisions. “I’m not saying those things to hurt you. And I know you didn’t do those things to hurt me. I’ve just never been honest about any of this.” Alex sits cross-legged on the couch, Lucy rests her elbow up on the couch and watches Alex intently. “You were the first person I ever...touched.”

 

“I know. You were my first too.”

 

“That night when we...when we had sex, it was...I don’t know, I finally felt real. Whole. After, when you didn’t talk to me, I felt like I messed something up. Everything went through my mind. I thought I pressured you, hurt you…” Alex voice shakes and rattles like her frustrations, guilt, and shame are simmering inside her. “I moved on. Eventually, I guess. But when I’m with other women, it’s like...I don’t know. Like I’m constantly picking up the pieces.” Alex is thankful that Lucy has stayed quiet this whole time. She knows she would’ve never been able to get those words out otherwise. 

 

“I wish I could do something to change what happened. Knowing I hurt you is the worst feeling in the world. Because you were so good to me.” Lucy tucks a stray hair back behind her ear. “I can be better. I can do better, you’ll see.” 

 

“I know.” 

 

“Protect that heart of yours, Alex. It’s a good one.” Lucy takes a deep breath and laughs, she looks slightly embarrassed by her openness. Alex idles for a little like she’s waiting to be rebooted back into reality. “Stop looking at me like that.” 

 

“Sorry, you’re usually…”

 

“Cold. Using humor to deflect my emotions?”

 

“Kinda.” Alex shrugs. “But this is a good side too.” Alex clears her throat. “Okay, so...snacks? TV? Gossip?”

 

“Yes, please.” Alex never would’ve thought she’d be spending any time alone with Lucy again, but tonight was different. They’d broken down a few walls and things were starting to feel normal. Alex goes to grab the snacks that she hides from Kara and her giant appetite and Lucy queues up the TV again. “Thanks, Alex, really. I know I don’t deserve it, but I’m happy I can trust you.” 

 

* * *

 

Lena can’t believe it’s been a week since she and Alex spent the better part of four hours in her lab. She knows she needs to schedule another day off for Alex, partially because Alex is a beam of light amongst all the struggles of being a woman and running a huge corporation, but also because Alex has completely revolutionized her life. Whoever Alex had brought over to work on her IT department had been a Godsend. Lena’s security detail was always discreet and professional and it helped Lena create the illusion of having a normal life.

 

Her anxieties, for the most part, had been tamed. At least until this morning when she realized that she would be meeting with Cat Grant for an exclusive interview and James Olsen for a photoshoot. Lena can’t remember what possessed her to ask Alex to be the one to be present with her throughout the day. Something about having an ally there, but now it all just seems stupid. 

 

Alex is going to see her. Really see her. She might as well be doing the photoshoot naked at this point. Luckily Lena gets to spend a few hours at LCorp before the madness begins and that gives her exactly enough time to freak out alone with Jess stopping by every few minutes just to check on her. “Jess, I’m alright.”

 

“I’m sorry, you just look so worried.” 

 

“I don’t particularly enjoy photo shoots,” Lena explains. “It’s taking all my willpower not to cancel. I can’t cancel, can I?” 

 

“No.”

 

“Please,” Lena begs. 

 

“No.” Jess checks her watch. “Okay, you have thirty minutes until Alex arrives. I’ll make you some tea and then we’ll sit on your couch and talk about how great we are.” Jess is so good at positive affirmations and as silly as it seems, it never seems to fail. 

 

Instead of returning to her work, Lena looks in the mirror. Maybe an asymmetric neck dress wasn’t the best choice. Especially because it was this shade of green. Lena’s eyes really popped and that was a problem because Cat Grant was going to read her far too well. Lena doesn’t have enough time to overthink it because Jess returns carrying two mugs of tea and setting them on Lena’s coffee table. 

 

Lena joins her. “You make the best tea in the world.” 

 

“Thanks,” Jess says with a smile. “Let’s see...you are an incredible CEO.”

 

“You are smart, thoughtful, and always there for me.” 

 

“That was three!” Jess nudges Lena’s shoulder. “You are brave and funny and you also happy to be the best chess player I’ve ever faced.” 

 

“Am I interrupting something?” Lena almost spills her tea - literally. Alex is standing there wearing black chinos, a blue and white button striped down, with a sleek blazer over it. Lena actually does a double take. 

 

“Oh, we’re just doing positive affirmations to calm Lena down before her big day.” Jess takes a drink from her mug. “Go on, say something nice about Lena.”

 

“You don’t have to,” Lena assures Alex. 

 

“Well, um...your dress is nice. I like what you’ve done with your hair today.” Lena had been thinking about wearing her hair up, but she settled for loosely curling it at the bottom. Alex sticks her hand in her pocket and Lena gets the slightest glimpse of a gun holstered to Alex’s waist.  _ Good, _ Lena thinks, she needs a reminder that Alex is here to do a job, not pick her up for a date. “Shall we?” 

 

“Of course.” Lena stands, finishes off the rest of her tea, and grabs her jacket off the back of her chair. “Jess, take the day off.”

 

“I think I’ll stick around. IT is installing some more software in the third-floor conference room.” Lena has no idea why Jess seems so interested in IT all of a sudden, but she doesn’t have time to ask. 

 

“Bye, Jess, say hi to Vasquez for me,” Alex says as they exit the room. Alex and Jess share a look that Lena will certainly ask about later. But for now, Lena is busy picking invisible lint off her dress so she has an excuse not to look at Alex. “You don’t have to be nervous. You’re gonna kill this interview.” 

 

“Thanks.” Lena looks at Alex and immediately blushes. “You look very nice, by the way. Trying to impress me?” 

 

“Yes, absolutely,” Alex jokes. “Is it working?” 

 

“Yes.” When they get to the parking garage, Alex greets their driver and gives him some special instructions about parking. Alex opens the door for Lena and helps her into the large SUV and then she goes over to the other side and slides in. “How has your week been?”

 

“Good. You?” Lena’s week has mostly been lonely, but she doesn’t want Alex to know that. 

 

“It’s been good too.” Alex nods but Lena knows she doesn’t believe her. The ride is short, which is good. It doesn’t give Lena a lot of time to worry. Soon enough, she’s being ushered into Catco and upstairs, coffee, tea, and snacks are being pushed into her face, but Alex is there to settle the frenzy down. Cat Grant stands when Lena and Alex enter the room, it's far too formal for Lena’s liking, but she steps forward and shakes Cat’s hand nonetheless. 

 

There are two chairs set up, which is probably where Cat will conduct the interview, but before Lena and Cat can sit down, Cat looks over at Alex and smiles. Lena knows that look, a predator stalking its prey. “Alex, good to see you again.” Cat snaps her fingers at her assistant. “Get Alex a chair.” 

 

“Oh, no, Alex isn’t going to stay,” Lena explains.

 

“Why not? You’re welcome to.” Cat looks too eager but Alex just looks to Lena, waiting to be told what to do. 

 

“Stay, it’s alright.” Lena knows that Cat has outplayed her, but Alex will probably be the only thing that helps her get through this. “Alex you should get a coffee or something before we start.” 

 

“My assistant can get you anything you want,” Cat says. Alex and Cat’s assistant head out of the room, Lena turns back to Cat just in time to notice Cat watching Alex’s retreating form. “Your bodyguard is very attractive,” Cat says it nonchalantly, but Lena knows that there’s a purpose. Cat’s studying Lena’s reactions, trying to figure out how to play her cards right. Lena and Cat take their seats, Cat places a tiny recording device between them, and she seems to have a few notes scribbled down on the notepad she’s holding. “Well, let’s get started. How are your first few weeks as a CEO going.” 

 

“Fantastically. I was surprised how easy it was to shift into the role and my employees are exceptional and driven. I think National City will be home for a long time.” Like that, Lena is in professional mode. Hitting all the right talking points with ease.

 

“And the move, has it been hard for you?”

 

“It’s been different, I wouldn’t say hard. I grew up in Metropolis, got my start fundraising for charities. I find that National City isn’t so different. Just more sun and the people seem to be more laid back, though I’m not sure I have that luxury quite yet,” Alex enters the room, quietly. She’s holding a mug of coffee and she takes a seat next to Cat’s assistant on a couch at the far end of the room. 

 

“Were there any particular things you miss about Metropolis? Maybe a specific someone?” Lena thinks that this is an interesting way of asking if she was dating, but she doesn’t react.

 

“Just a few friends.”

 

“A lot of people were very impressed by your first press conference here in National City, including myself.” Cat taps her pen to her notepad. “What influenced you to make such a big choice by changing the name from LuthorCorp to LCorp?” Lena glances over at Alex, briefly. It would be stupid, to tell the truth, Cat would latch on, but Lena doesn’t deserve the full credit.

 

“It seemed like the right thing to do. I know that there’s a lot of distrust in my family’s name and I also know that changing a logo doesn’t change everything. But I am hoping for a fresh start, that was part of the intention.” 

 

“What would you say to people who believe that you, your brother, and mother all have the same conservative beliefs? Are you, yourself, conservative?” 

 

“Absolutely not. And I would urge people to dig into my history. Most of my work has been geared toward equality initiatives and liberal organizations.” 

 

“Specifically LGBT organizations?” Oh. So that’s what Cat is trying to figure out. All the lead-up, the faux genuine interest. It’s all a way to dig into Lena’s sexuality. 

 

“Yes.” Lena has decided that she doesn’t care. She’s not going to back down and be afraid if that’s what Cat wants.

 

“That’s wonderful.” Cat looks down at her notes, Lena - and probably everyone else in the room - is shocked that Cat doesn’t immediately go for a follow-up. Cat had Lena exactly where she wanted her, why didn’t she pounce? “Let’s talk science.” The rest of the interview goes smoothly. Cat is kind and - surprisingly - funny and she lets Lena nerd out for a little bit even though some of it seems to be out of her typical readers’ interest. Cat also slips in a few basic questions and that means that Lena is forced to admit that she hates ketchup and that her favorite movie is  _ The Craft _ . It isn’t nearly as terrible as she thought it would be and Lena is almost certain that she’s coming away with a new ally. 

 

Cat pulls her aside after the interview, while James and Alex are chatting on the other side of the room. “I’ll take out the LGBT question if you’d like. I shouldn’t have asked and I’m not in the business of outing people.” 

 

“I can’t tell you what to write, Ms. Grant.”

 

“Call me Cat.” And just like that, they’re on the same footing. Cat seems excited to get started on the exclusive, James has his camera dangling around his neck and he’s laughing at something Alex has just said. 

 

“Ms. Luthor, ready for your close up?” It’s cheesy, but Lena laughs at James’s words. Cat, not to be outdone, gives Alex a wink and a smile. 

 

“Alex, you might consider being a part of our underwear issue,” Cat suggests.

 

“Ms. Grant, what did I tell you about flirting with guests?” James and Cat seem to have a genuine report and Cat doesn’t even look half as bashful as she should. Alex is a good sport when she shouldn’t have to be, and she just gives Cat a smirk, like she’s completely unaffected by the overt flirting. 

 

Lena shouldn’t be surprised that James’s studio is so nice, but she is surprised that everything is set up and ready for her. The muslin white backdrop hangs on the far side of the room, a makeup chair and mirror are sitting near four women who are eagerly awaiting Lena. There is a clothes rack with the stylists hanging around it. It all seems so ridiculous. There are certainly more people in the room than she thought and she can feel her palms sweat. 

 

Where is she going to change into her outfits? Right in front of these people? Right in front of Alex? “You alright?” Alex asks. Lena refuses to appear as nervous as she actually is, so she just waves Alex off. 

 

“So, we’re going to get you started in hair and makeup. Wardrobe is next and we’ve got a curtain over there for privacy,” James explains. “Alex, you can stick near me. You can look at the monitors, tell us how we’re doing.” Alex was right, James is a good guy. Lena doesn’t feel nearly as nervous knowing he’s in charge of this. 

 

Hair and makeup are easy. Everyone is friendly and respectful and they always ask Lena her opinion. Wardrobe is a bit more complex. There’s a color palette that’s been pre-selected. The stylists already know which outfit they’ll put her in first and they’re a little less ceremonious with how they treat her body. Once she’s dressed she walks over to James, who is currently showing Alex how the monitors work. Alex still has a coffee in hand, but now her blazer has been discarded and Lena can see just how nice Alex’s arms look in her button up. 

 

“We’ll get started with a few casual photos. Just to check some angles, get the lighting right. I’ll ask you to pose in certain ways in different outfits, but if you’re uncomfortable with anything then let me know.” James takes Lena over to the backdrop, Alex stays near the monitors sitting in what looks exactly like a director’s chair. 

 

James takes a few practice shots. He’s calm, easy to work with, and he knows his employees well enough to get things going smoothly. Lena is happy with the first few outfits. Professional. Pencil skirts, silk blouses, heels, it’s all in her comfort zone. 

 

And then the dresses. They’re nice but very formal. She feels strange stepping into an evening gown in the middle of the day. At one point, Lena puts on a gorgeous red dress, with a slit up to her hip and a deep plunging neckline. It’s the closest thing to sensual that Lena would ever consider wearing in public and she can tell, it’s a show stopper. 

 

Lena has purposefully avoided looking at Alex this whole time. She knows Alex has seen every photo she’s taken pop up on those monitors, but she simply doesn’t want to think about it. But in this dress, she wants to know. Does Alex like the way she looks? “Can I see some of the photos so far?” Lena asks. 

 

“Of course!” James excitedly leads Lena to the monitors. James clicks through them, showing Lena some of his favorites. Discussing which ones would be nice for the seven-page spread and which could make the cover. Lena barely listens. She can feel Alex’s eyes on her. Alex is sitting next to where Lena is standing, her eyes have traveled to Lena’s leg, then her thigh, and now Alex seems to be preoccupied with Lena’s shoulders. Lena felt good, sexy even, in this dress, but with Alex’s hungry eyes devouring her, she has never felt so hot. “Have any favorites? Alex, what about you?”

 

“Huh? What?” Alex is pulled from her haze. She stands up from where she’s been sitting and moves closer to the monitor. “Oh...I like these ones. Great lighting, James. Great...well, everything, Lena.” 

 

“Thanks. I try,” Lena jokes. 

 

“It’s effortless. Truly,” James tells her. “Do you mind if I take a break? Gotta get rehydrated.” 

 

“Of course, go ahead.” James goes in search of some water. The hair, makeup, and wardrobe department join. But Alex stays and tries not to look like she’s checking Lena out. “Having fun?” 

 

“It’s fun. You’re great at this.” 

 

“It’s easy when I have people constantly telling me how beautiful I look.” 

 

“They aren’t wrong, trust me. Damn.” There’s something about Alex’s eyes. She isn’t shy, at all. She knows that Lena can see how her eyes have now gone to Lena’s chest, but she doesn’t seem to care. It’s so brazen. So bold. And so fucking hot. 

 

“Stop. You're making me blush.” 

 

“Sorry, I’ll close my eyes,” Alex says with a smile. Lena reaches forward, covering Alex’s eyes with her hand. Alex’s laugh is infectious and even though Alex could easily push Lena’s hand away, she doesn’t. “Okay, Ms. Luthor, having fun, are we?” Alex does nudge Lena’s hand away now. Lena is still laughing, she doesn’t even remember why she was so nervous before. Alex is here. Apparently, that’s all she needs. 

 

James returns. More photos are taken and at one point Alex says  _ That’s the one _ and James seems to trust her eye enough to end the photo shoot right then and there. James is a gentleman and informs Lena that she will be receiving an email with a lot of big files in the coming days. When Lena is dressed in her normal clothes and they’ve said their goodbyes, Alex calls their driver over to pick them up. “So, we’re still on?” 

 

“Hm?”

 

“Beers. A dive bar, I think you said.” Lena had almost forgotten through all the madness. “You don’t have to, it’s been a long day.” 

 

“Are you kidding? I’m up for it.” Lena doesn’t want Alex to think she’s scared. “You’ll be embarrassed when I drink you under the table.” Alex looks slightly competitive and slightly impressed and Lena is so totally enamored. Lena doesn’t stop home to change, she likes the way Alex looks at her in her current dress and she doesn’t want to downgrade. “Where are we going?” 

 

“This place called _Moose_.”

 

“Sounds interesting.” 

 

“It’s my turf. Been there for me through college and beyond.” The bar is close and as soon as they walk in, Lena learns two things about Alex. One, Alex has so much more swagger when she’s on her turf. She waves to the bartender, grabs a plate of crispy chips off the bar top, and she leads them to a slightly raised tab;e in the corner of the room. Two, Alex doesn’t care how rich or famous Lena is, she’s chivalrous as hell. Alex pulls out a chair for Lena before they sit, and soon they have two glasses of beer sitting in front of them. “Let’s see what you got, Luthor.” Lena is equally as competitive and even though the beer is a little too dark for her tastes, she still goes for it. 

 

“So...you were checking me out earlier?”

 

“Fuck, sorry. Totally inappropriate. I wasn’t...um…”

 

“It’s okay. Really, it made me feel...I don’t know. Not terrible.” Lena takes another drink of her beer. “Thank you for pushing me to do this.”

 

“I think it’ll be a good thing,” Alex starts. “I hope Cat Grant wasn’t too...pushy.”

 

“Oh, please. I have thick skin.” Lena shrugs. “Plus, she did promise not to out me. I’ll just have to trust her, but when we get a copy of the story, if there’s any mention of my sexuality, I’ll need to come out on my own terms.”

 

“I’m sorry. That’s a terrible position to be in.” 

 

“Actually...it’s not so bad. I’ve been tiptoeing around coming out for a while, but if I’m forced out, that might be exactly what I need.” Lillian will be disappointed in her no matter what. 

 

“I didn’t realize that you were…” Alex doesn’t actually say the words, she's probably hoping that Lena will jump in and use the label that she wants, so Alex won’t have to guess.

 

“A lesbian? Yes, well...I’ve had a complicated relationship with my sexuality. Mostly I’ve just stayed firmly in the closet and only let my friends know.” Lena notices Alex’s patience. It’s refreshing. “Mostly, it’s been a series of mindless sex and NDA’s, which as you might guess, has made those brief encounters more tense than satisfying.”

 

“I totally understand. I’ve had a lot of the same problems.” Lena is intrigued. She likes getting to know Alex more, hearing her be more open and honest makes it feel more like they’re friends. And Lena thinks that they are friends and she hopes that Alex feels the same way. “I’m not out. I mean, my sister knows and Lucy too. But I’ve really struggled with finding a way to be…” Alex sighs, she looks embarrassed, Lena reaches across the table and grabs onto Alex’s hand. “There’s this whole world, you know. This world that other people get to live in where they’re out and proud and I just...it’s so hard to feel like I belong there. I buried myself so deep, digging out is a work in progress.”

 

“Well, you’re not alone. If that means anything.” 

 

“It does.” 

 

“Okay. Let’s talk about something less serious,” Lena exclaims. They are onto beer number two and Lena doesn’t feel like getting wasted in despair. Alex is here and Lena feels good about everything for the first time in a long time. 

 

“Like how you and I are going to change the world?” 

 

“Yes,” Lena laughs. “Let’s start there.” And they do. The more beers they down the easier it becomes to laugh. The easier it becomes to go from big philosophical issues to small things, like why Alex can’t do yoga and why Lena finds it comforting. Alex’s wit is beautiful and it comes in clusters. She’s sharp and her humor isn’t frivolous, it’s just there. Lena is eating it up. She’s used to getting what she wants, always, but Alex doesn’t care. Alex is the one choosing the beers, she’s the one reaching across the table and running her thumb over Lena’s ear - supposedly to check how many piercings she has - and it is making Lena’s heart beat so fast that she has to rush off to the restroom to cool down. 

 

When she returns, Alex is scrolling through her phone aimlessly, while a woman at a nearby table checks her out. Alex obviously doesn’t know how attractive she is. Lena has learned that simply through the way she clammed up around Cat Grant. But there’s something so infuriating about it. Alex isn’t cocky, just vaguely clueless, and it causes Lena to experience jealousy more often than she’s willing to admit. 

 

Including right now.

 

Lena does something she would never do. She walks right up to Alex, steps right between her legs, rests her hands on Alex’s thighs and grins at her. Alex’s phone drops to the table and the previously interested woman now looks detoured, knowing that Alex is here with Lena. “What are you doing?”

 

“Saving you from that woman. Her outfit is tacky and you can do better.” 

 

“You’re crazy.” 

 

“Yep.”

 

“What would you do if she didn’t take the hint?”

 

“I’d kiss you. A little bit of tongue would probably get the message across.” Lena isn’t just touching Alex’s thighs now she’s moving her hands slowly, not too high not too low, she’s just a little tipsy and very lost in Alex’s eyes. “I could be your wife for all she knows.”

 

“You’re jealous on principle?” 

 

“Exactly.” 

 

“I should get you home.” 

 

“Yes, you should.” Lena moves her hands higher, Alex grabs Lena’s waist and gives her a look that says  _ stop _ . Lena obeys, immediately, and raises her hands up defensively. Alex runs her hand through her hair. 

 

“What am I going to do with you?” Alex finishes off the rest of her beer, throws a few bills down on the table, and grabs hold of Lena’s hand, leading her out of the bar. The night air catches Lena off guard. It must have been hours since they left Catco and it flew by without Lena even being aware. Alex is very specific about not calling their typical driver because she doesn’t want the DEO to be aware that she herself has just gone out drinking with her boss. “I should put you in a cab, but...you look like you might get into trouble if I let you go alone.” 

 

“I don’t need a babysitter.” 

 

“I never said you did,” Alex assures her. Lena can faintly feel Alex’s hand on the small of her back. “You can sleep it off at my place. If you promise to be good.”

 

“I’ll be a good girl,” Lena says with a grin. Alex rolls her eyes. 

 

Their car arrives quickly, Alex opens the door for Lena, and they make the quick trip back to Alex’s apartment. Alex makes a big deal about how boring and bland her place is compared to Lena’s, but when they actually arrive, Lena finds it charming and warm. Alex gives her a glass of water and they sit on the couch pretending that they shouldn’t be in the bedroom moaning each other’s names. “Alex?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You make me smile.”

 

“That’s so sappy.” It is and Lena doesn’t care. “Okay, let me grab you some clothes. As a great host, I’ll let you have the bed.” 

 

“You’re so generous.” 

 

“I’ve been told.” Alex retreats to her bedroom and Lena is left to her own devices. Which mostly means that Lena looks at a few photos in the room and eyes Alex’s fridge and pantry which are very empty. Alex returns and she’s wearing sweatpants and a soft looking t-shirt. “If you need anything, you’ll let me know?” Alex hands Lena an oversized t-shirt and some other clothes that Lena isn’t paying attention to. 

 

“I will.”

 

“Goodnight, Alex.” Lena starts for Alex’s room, but suddenly Alex grabs Lena’s wrist and tugs her closer to her. And now, Alex’s lips are on hers, soft and confident, and Lena is quite literally having her breath taken away. It’s the kind of toe-tingling, heart-melting warmth that nearly topples Lena. 

 

“Goodnight.” 

 

Lena stands there stunned, Alex looks bashful and her cheeks are tinted pink, just enough to show that Alex is just as taken aback as Lena is. Lena doesn’t want to pressure Alex and she can see that this probably shouldn’t go any further, so Lena does the right thing, and heads into Alex’s bedroom. 

 

But that doesn’t stop the tingling sensation from keeping her up most of the night. Lena assumes that’s why she could hear Alex’s phone vibrate around two in the morning. She can hear Alex shuffling around, and then pick up. “Hello?” Lena wonders who would be calling Alex this late. “Lucy, slow down.” Lena tries not to listen in, but Alex’s voice sounds intense and concerned. “Why would he want all the files on Lena?” Now Lena sits up. Who are Lucy and Alex talking about? “I don’t give a shit if he’s in charge. I’m not scared of him.” Lena can hear Alex sigh, she wants to walk out of the room and demand to know what’s going on. If Alex is in danger because of her then she can’t allow that to happen. “Lucy, don’t put your neck on the line. Just keep him on a leash, okay? I’ll figure out what to do next.” 

 

The rest of the night, Lena can hear Alex typing away on her computer. It worries her that Alex is in a shitty situation, but Lena doesn’t know what she can do to help. Whatever it is, the next morning is rough for Alex. She’s quiet and she tries her best to get Lena to leave as soon as possible. It feels like a harsh rejection, even though Lena knows there’s more to it. Lena lingers though, her Luthor determination showing a bit. “Alex, if you need anything tell me.” 

 

“I’m fine. Don’t worry.” 

 

“Can we meet again this week? In the lab.”

 

“Um...I’m thinking I might have to spend a few days at the DEO. I’ll let you know.” Lena nods and says her goodbyes, but the minute she gets home she calls Lucy. 

 

“Hello? Ms. Luthor, is everything alright?”

 

“Everything’s fine, but I do need to talk to you. Today.” Lucy seems annoyed, short even. Lena doesn’t give a shit. 

 

“Does 10 work for you?”

 

“Yes, and I need this to be off the record. Do you understand?” There’s a long pause at the other end, Lucy must be debating how much she’s willing to trust Lena’s intentions.

 

“Yes, I understand.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...things are about to get intense. Alex is going to be in a terrible position, Lena is going to feel isolated, and some big choices will have to be made soon...
> 
> Anyway, writing about a photo shoot got me thinking, what are some of your favorite Supergirl artists on tumblr? I'm looking for new people to follow and I would love suggestions!
> 
>  


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is somewhat of a two-parter. A lot of stuff is being set up for a pretty major shift in the story (stakes, setting, dealers pick if I'm honest). Thank you, as always for reading!

Lena arrives at the DEO at 9:53. Lena isn’t in the mood to be kept waiting and, thankfully, Agent Winters spots her milling around the civilian zone and he offers to take her up to Lucy’s office to wait there. Lena obliges, a thought trickling in the back of her mind about whether or not she might run into Alex forces Lena to keep her eyes downcast. It’s not like she’d know what to say to Alex either. She’d thought that they were close. That things might be going somewhere. Hell, Alex kissed her, not the other fucking way around. And if this was some sort of elaborate plan, some ploy to get under Lena’s skin, then Lena will show them who exactly they’re messing with. 

 

She’s a Luthor after all. 

 

Lena feels almost ill about the whole situation. She’d trusted Alex. She’d let her in. What was with all those moments between them? Lena was going to explode if she thought too much about this, so instead, Lena focused on the key questions she had. Namely:  _ am I in danger _ ? Agent Winters brought Lena a glass of water and made small talk about the weather until footsteps echoed down the hall and halted suddenly at the door. Lena turns to see Lucy standing there, dressed in what Lena can assume is field ready gear. “Shit, am I late?” Lucy asks as she hustles into the room and barks orders at Winters to make himself useful by patrolling the  _ cells _ . 

 

“No, I’m early.” Lena watches Lucy take off her bulletproof vest, unholster her weapon, and put it in a lock box behind her desk. “Is this a bad time?”

 

“All the time is a bad time. You know how that goes. But…” Lucy grabs a water bottle from her bag and finally takes a seat behind her desk. “I’m part of your support system at the DEO, so I am at your service. What can I do for you?” Storming into the DEO was one thing, but actually saying what she needed to say was another. This was delicate and if she made one wrong move then she might make an enemy of the wrong person. 

 

“I want to know if there are any new developments.”

 

“Developments? As in…?”

 

“Things that concern me. Or my safety.” Lucy doesn’t react. Not even in the slightest. Whatever training they do here must be impeccable, which only serves to heighten Lena’s paranoia about Alex being a good liar. 

 

“As far as I know nothing has changed. But perhaps you could inform me of something new. I assume asking Alex about your safety and security wasn’t on the table for some reason?” Lena tightens her jaw. As much as she wants this to be business as usual, Lucy has zeroed in and she knows she can’t ignore it. 

 

“I was told that you were in charge of the operation, so I wanted to come to you.” Lena takes a sip of water, in a failed attempt at keeping her demeanor even and calm. But she’s starting to get flustered, the lack of information is unnerving. “I was promised transparency.” 

 

“And you’re getting it.”

 

“So, who at the DEO is interested in seeing my files?” Lucy opens her mouth and then closes it quickly. Lena, now armed with the upper hand, continues. “I have done everything that you have asked within reason. But I will not be waiting on the sideline all the time. If I am in danger, then you need to tell me.” 

 

“I assure you...everything is under control.” Lena is doing a terrible job of keeping her emotions in check. She stands, abruptly, and storms out of the room like a child. Lucy will have a lot to say about it, no doubt, but Lena doesn’t like being iced out of her own life. 

 

Lena is so focused on calling her driver that she doesn’t even notice someone walking toward her until she literally runs directly into them. 

 

Alex. Of course, it’s Alex. 

 

Lena goes to apologize because even though she’s upset, she still knows how to be civil. But Alex’s eyes go wide and she grabs Lena’s arm firmly. “What the hell are you doing here?” Lena notes the concern in Alex’s eyes, but she can’t get past the fact that Alex simply does not talk like this. She doesn’t forcefully grab people either. “Lena!”

 

“Let go of me.” Alex doesn’t. Instead, she pulls Lena alongside her, and suddenly Lena is back in Lucy’s office and the door is closed and locked. “Don’t touch me!” Alex finally releases Lena, and Lucy is half caught up in Lena’s flustered outburst and Alex’s anger. “What the hell, Alex?” 

 

“Alex, what’s wrong?” Lucy questions. 

 

“‘What’s wrong?’ Are you fucking kidding me? Lena should not be here.” Alex approaches Lucy, glaring at her. Lena actually thinks they might fight by the looks of it, but Lucy just lets out an exasperated sigh and falls back into her seat. “Where’s your dad?”

 

“Blowing a bunch of narcissistic pricks in the conference room. Which you’d know if you ever bothered to read the memos we send out.” Lucy glances over at Lena and then returns her gaze to Alex. “She’s fine here.”

“I’m in the room. You can talk to me too,” Lena tells them. “I’m leaving now.”

 

“Wait!” Alex reaches out to grab Lena but yanks her hand back, trying to respect Lena’s wishes not to be touched. “This is kind of a...shitty situation. Please, can I walk you down to your car?” Lena ponders for a long moment, enjoying the little power she has in this situation. 

 

“Fine.” This time, Alex leads the way in a much less frenzied hustle. But the entire way down to the parking garage, Alex’s hand is placed on her gun. If Lena had been curious before now she’s terrified. What the hell has Alex so jumpy? More importantly, why won’t she talk to Lena? They get to the parking lot far too soon and Lena can see her driver waiting for her. She’s got about five seconds before Alex says goodbye and leaves her again, and Lena is struggling to find out how so much could change in less than a day. “What’s going on?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Don’t bullshit me. Don’t play games either, I fucking hate that-.”

 

“I know.” 

 

“So, talk to me.” Alex shifts her weight from foot to foot. She doesn’t look like she wants to say anything, and this sudden distance is really starting to get to Lena. “Okay. Fuck you too-.”

 

“Lena, come on. I’m not your brother or your mom, I’m not trying to lie to you. I don’t know exactly what’s going on, okay? A general arrived to consult with the DEO and he’s taken an interest in your role here.” Alex sighs. “I don’t trust him. And I especially don’t trust him around you.” 

 

“I can take care of myself.”

 

“I know that. But it would make my job easier if you steered clear of the DEO. Just until I figure all this out.” Lena still feels like she’s missing something but at least Alex had talked to her . “And we should probably keep our distance.” Lena looks away from Alex. She doesn’t want to admit that Alex was the closest thing to a friend she had out here. That seeing her was the absolute best part of her day. “For a while.”

 

“Sure. Whatever.” Lena has gone icy but that’s making this a lot easier. “I have a job to do so...see you...around.” Lena rushes to the car and she doesn’t dare look back at Alex. The last thing she needs is to feel guilty that Alex is putting distance between them. As the car pulls away, she peaks at Alex briefly, and - of course - their eyes meet. 

 

* * *

 

 

Lena needs to get to work. Immediately. Which she does, easily, because this is the way that Luthors bury themselves.  _ Work hard, play later _ as Lillian always said. Despite the look that Jess gives her when she walks into her office, Lena is able to get ahead on a few things, including a big acquisition in France. Lena doesn’t know if thrilled is the right word, but she feels accomplished, much more than she had this morning. And then, like always, the other shoe drops. “Are you ready for tonight?” 

 

“Tonight?” Lena asks, finally looking up from a stack of legal documents. Jess is standing in front of Lena’s desk holding a clipboard and wearing her headset from the conference call she’d just listened in on. “What’s tonight?” 

 

“The Gala.” Jess waits for a look of recognition to cross Lena’s face when it doesn’t Jess, sighs. “This is a pretty big deal. All the big Wigs in National City will be there, it’s the event of the year.”

 

“Well, I’m not going.” 

 

“Lena...you need to. Not to sound like your mother, but...it’s really important for your image.” Lena scoffs, but Jess continues. “You have an entire makeup and wardrobe team coming here in two hours to get you ready. It’s their dream gig, at least do it for them.” Jess knows exactly how to get to Lena. 

 

“Fuck.” Lena discards the documents and leans back in her chair. “I’ll go.”

 

“Yes!” Jess grins. “This will cheer you up.”

 

“ _ Cheer me up _ ? I’m fine,” Lena lies. “I just had a long night.” 

 

“Yeah, about that...I thought you’d be happier. I thought the photo shoot went well, and...drinks with Alex? How’d that go?” Lena’s eyes dart to Jess.

 

“Why do you know about that?” Lena questions, suddenly feeling self-conscious. She doesn’t want anyone to know that Alex is the reason she’s upset. Lena doesn’t want anyone to know that Alex has that kind of power over her. 

 

“Security protocol. Your driver’s schedule is attached to my calendar, so...well, I knew that you got picked up from Alex’s apartment this morning…” Lena’s eyes go wide, Jess scrambles. “I’m not judging you! You do know that, right? I mean, Alex is hot. I’ve checked her out more than once-.”

 

“Jess.” Lena closes her eyes. “This is not helping.” Jess takes the seat in front of Lena’s desk. “Okay, nothing happened between us for starters. And I think...I don’t. I don’t know what to think, so I’m not going to think about it.” Lena taps her fingers against the desk for a moment, before leaning toward Jess. “You should’ve seen her today. Trying to boss me around. Me.”

 

“I always thought Alex was nice. But if you want me to hate her, I will,” Jess offers. 

 

“No, Jess, don’t waste your energy.” A notification pops up on Lena’s computer, letting her know that her hair, makeup, and wardrobe crew will be there in an hour. “Okay, so you should go home, get some rest. Do something fun and text me about it so I can live vicariously through you.”

 

“Are you sure? I can stick around with you.” 

 

“No way. Please, take care of yourself. One of us should have a good evening.” Jess accepts the show of good faith and Lena half returns to work and half scrolls through Instagram trying not to stalk Alex. Which works for five minutes. Then, Lena realizes that stalking Lucy isn’t technically that creepy or weird. 

 

Lena immediately regrets this decision because the first photo Lena sees is one of Alex with a Twizzler sticking out of the side of her mouth. The picture was taken at Alex’s apartment, Lena recognizes the decor, and she knows that Lucy took the photo because the caption reads:  _ this beauty always makes me feel better <3 _

 

It’s sickening. The way Lena’s stomach twists and turns. She has to clench her teeth so she doesn’t throw her phone across the room. It’s frustrating having to deal with all the bullshit, all the hesitation just to end up hurt anyway. You can never be too careful, Lena thinks, and she should’ve listened to her mother. For once. 

 

Too many people show up at her office. All hired by Jess through LCorps’ west coast contacts so Lena absolutely knows that she won’t be having an ounce of fun tonight. The makeup team is nice enough. Chatting with her about recent trends and sucking up to her like she has any idea what they’re talking about. Her hair stylists - yes, plural - are slightly eccentric and she’s thankful that they diss other celebrities that they’ve worked with because at least it’s entertaining. When Lena finally does get a glimpse at her dress, she is in no way surprised. It’s a purple sequin dress with a v neck so deep that Lena has to wear double stick tape to remain in the dress and not give everyone a show. 

 

Lena feels less sexy than she did the day before. But that’s primarily because everyone around her is looking at her like a job well done. Certainly not the way Alex had looked at her last night. Lena doesn’t have time to dwell on it, so she decides that if she’s going to be forced to make a night out of this, then she’ll do it right. Lena downs exactly two shots of whiskey and she feels absolutely ridiculous using one of Jack’s gadgets, but a flask holster that she can attach to her leg discreetly is the best part of her outfit. 

 

The drive to City Hall is brief and as her driver helps her out of the car, Lena isn’t even phased by the flurry of flashes and questions thrown her way. The red carpet is the easiest one she’s encountered, namely because she isn’t forced to have some random handpicked man at her side, and instead, Lena poses for a few photos before heading inside. 

 

City Hall is gorgeous. A giant dome with beautiful stained glass towers over the main room. Orchestra music reverberates throughout the spacious room, and Lena suddenly finds herself in the middle of a wealthy and well-dressed crowd. Lena knows exactly two people in the room: Cat Grant and James. Lena isn’t quite ready to have an awkward run-in with them until she absolutely feels desperate for human connection. 

 

Lena does her usual thing. Walking around the room, acknowledging other people, and finding a home at the bar. This is a five-hour event. Lena refuses to be sober for any part of it. Lena assumes this is why she’s so distracted when a hand rests on her bare shoulder. Lena is ready to punch or claw at whoever thinks it's appropriate to touch someone without their consent, but when Lena turns, her words die in her throat. Instead, Lena’s mouth hangs slack for a second. “Mom?”

 

* * *

 

Alex has had a shitty day. And even after hours of working in the lab, it isn’t any better. Lucy isn’t closer to figuring out Sam Lane’s endgame and Alex has anxiety like never before. Alex, who is rarely armed on the job unless she’s doing security detail with her team, has had her gun holstered to her waist the entire day. When Alex has finally had enough of waiting for nothing, she goes to the locker room to shower and change. As soon as Alex emerges from the shower wearing a towel around her body, Lucy is standing in the middle of the locker room with her hands on her hips. “Shit, what’s wrong?” 

 

Lucy bites her lip, pondering. It makes Alex’s worry intensify. “Don’t overreact,” Lucy warns. 

 

“Tell me.” 

 

“Orders from my father. Which means orders from the U.S. government.” Lucy takes a seat on a bench. “They want Lena’s security protocol files. Everything. All your reports, including the timeline, and any updates to Lena’s calendar.” Alex is dumbfounded. Alex cannot comprehend why Lucy is trying to downplay this. She has never once received orders like this and in this way. 

 

“That’s crazy.”

 

“I know.”

 

“Did you ask him why?” Alex starts changing, she doesn’t give a shit if Lucy is standing right there. Alex is really starting to feel overwhelmed. 

 

“Yes. He wouldn’t say. He said that they wanted information on all of our major projects.” Lucy bites her nails. “But he asked about Lena. Nothing about Project Alloy and Onyx.” 

 

“It’s not gonna happen. Not until I know why.” 

 

“Alex. He wants them tonight.”

 

“He can fuck off-.” 

 

“Don’t do this, Alex. I know that you care about her but this is the government asking. You can’t say no.” Alex pulls on her pants and tugs on her shirt. “Where are you going?”

 

“Home.”

 

“Alex.” Lucy jumps up, grabbing Alex’s arm. “Don’t you dare fucking do this.” Alex pulls her arm out of Lucy’s grip and heads out of the locker room. Alex will deal with Lucy later, but right now she needs to talk to Lena. Thankfully, Alex is still connected to Lena’s calendar, so it only takes her a few moments to realize that Lena is at the Gala downtown. Alex can’t show up wearing these clothes and despite all the crazy antics that Kara has invited into Alex’s life, one thing Alex is happy for is the fact that Kara insisted that Alex buy a few suits. Including the blue  _ Armani _ suit that Alex was currently throwing on in her apartment. 

 

Alex has just enough time to half blow dry her hair and find her black dress shoes which were tucked away under her bed, before hopping onto her motorcycle and speeding over to City Hall. Alex doesn’t bother with the red carpet but she does grab a glass of wine off a passing tray to quell her nerves a bit. This situation is too intense, too dangerous for Alex to mess it up by being too emotional. 

 

Lena is going to be upset. Alex doesn’t blame her, but Alex wants to be as transparent as she can be when it counts. “Alex?” Cat Grant smiles, watching Alex carefully. “You clean up nice.” 

 

“Ms. Grant. You look lovely, as always.” 

 

“Are you here with Ms. Luthor? I’ve seen her around here somewhere.” Cat feigns searching for Lena but Alex can tell it’s all an act. “I imagine you spend a lot of time with Ms. Luthor, being part of her security detail and all.” 

 

“I do.”

 

“It’s remarkable, isn’t it? Nothing juicy has really leaked about her yet. I don’t suppose you have anything of interest?” Alex isn’t surprised that Cat would try and outmaneuver her, but Alex isn’t quite sure how she can get out of this situation. 

 

“I don’t.” Alex smiles trying to keep her tone even. 

 

“And you aren’t fucking her?” Alex quickly looks around to make sure that no one heard Cat. 

 

“Absolutely not.”

 

“So, you’re available?” Cat grins wider. “That’s information I’m interested in too.” Alex chuckles, she knows Cat Grant is never shy, but having this much attention on her and her romantic life is a bit overwhelming. Luckily, Alex spots Lena near the bar and Alex is about to excuse herself when she sees that Lena is talking with someone. “Lillian Luthor,” Cat provides for her.

 

“Shit. What is she doing here?” Alex says mostly to herself. 

 

“I’m not certain. I’d say that this is one of her patented intimidation tactics.” Cat takes a sip of her bourbon. “Do you need me to intervene?”

 

“No, I think I can handle it.” Alex is a little naive to have this much confidence right now, but she approaches Lena anyway. Knowing what Alex knows about Lillian, she hopes that at the very least, Lena is happier to see her than her mother. Lena, however, is so immersed in whatever Lillian is saying that Alex has to actually push between two businessmen to be noticed. “Lena, hi.” Lillian eyes Alex, looking slightly annoyed by the intrusion. Lena’s shoulders relax slightly. 

 

“Alex. I wasn’t expecting you here.” Lena clears her throat. “Alex, this is my mother, Lillian. Mother, this is Alex Danvers. She’s the head of my security detail in National City.” Lillian and Alex shake hands and Lillian doesn’t even fake a smile. 

 

“Lena, I’m surprised you let the help call you by your first name.” Lillian does smile now, seemingly very happy at the dig. Lena rolls her eyes. “Can we help you with something? Security-related, I assume.” 

 

“Actually, yes. I need to speak to you, Lena.” Lillian doesn’t budge, even as Lena stands and makes a move to step closer to Alex. “Alone.” 

 

“Anything you need to say to my daughter regarding  _ my  _ company, you can say in front of me,” Lillian insists. 

 

“It’s not about the company. It’s personal.” Alex feels a twinge of guilt as Lillian’s eyes narrow at her. Lena grabs Alex’s blazer and pulls her away, quickly. There isn’t much room for cover, especially with the kind of top secret things Alex needs to tell Lena, but they do manage to find a quiet corner where they can whisper. 

 

Lena's furious, Alex doesn’t have time to dwell on it. “I’m sorry for showing up here like this.”

 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” 

 

“No.” Alex sighs. “Lucy just told me something pretty major-.”

 

“You mean your girlfriend?” Alex is taken aback, both by the accusation and the way that the words leave Lena’s mouth. Lena avoids Alex’s eyes, seemingly determined to keep the upper hand here. “Apparently, I gave you the wrong idea. You work for me. Which means that if there is a problem you come directly to me.”

 

“Lena…”

 

“Ms. Luthor, you mean.” Lena is seconds away from returning to the bar, so Alex grabs her for the second time today. Lena doesn’t yank her arm away as Alex expects, but there is enough tension between them to cause a scene if Alex isn’t careful. 

 

“The government wants all the information I have on your security protocol. They want your calendar. They want the songs that you listen to on your way to work.” Alex steps closer to Lena. “I didn’t want to freak you out this morning, that’s why I didn’t say anything, but now I’m scared.” Lena furrows her brow and takes a deep breath. 

 

“What do I do?”

 

“They don’t know that you know any of this, so keep it that way. Follow your usual routine.” Alex looks around, spotting the DEO agents scattered through the crowd. “I don’t know what the hell Sam Lane wants. I don’t know who he’s got under his thumb, but anyone you come in contact with, consider them compromised.” 

 

“That’s reassuring.” 

 

“Whatever it is, he isn’t sure  _ how _ he’ll reach his goal. Which is probably why he wants my files.” Alex releases Lena’s arm, immediately missing her warmth, it was the one single comfort she still had. 

 

“What do you mean  _ wants _ ? Didn’t you hand them over?”

 

“Of course not.” Alex doesn’t know how else she can get the message across. She’d tried to be loyal, she’d even let Lena in on her own project. Alex trusted Lena, she expected that to be reciprocated. 

 

“You just said the government wanted this information and you’re withholding it? That’s insane. That’s…”

 

“A stupid idea?”

 

“Well...yes.” Lena's eyes search Alex’s for some semblance of sanity. “You can’t do this. I won’t allow it.”

 

“I won’t give him what he wants unless I know why.” Alex takes a long pull of wine, nearly emptying the glass. “I’m just doing my job. Like I promised.”

 

“Alex, fuck the job. You shouldn’t be doing this. Not on your own, you have no idea what they’ve got planned. What if someone turns on you?” Lena was starting to sound genuinely worried and desperate, which is the last thing that Alex wants. “What did Lucy say?” 

 

“That I’m being stupid, which I do know by the way.” Alex runs her fingers through her hair. “Do you have a purse or something?”

 

“What? Um...yes.” Lena holds out her  _ Dior _ clutch and Alex slips something inside. “What is that?”

 

“Burner, my spare number is already programmed into it.” Alex looks around at the crowd again. “I’m going to take a few days off, work with the people I know I can trust.” Alex starts walking away. “That dress is stunning by the way-.”

 

“Alex, wait!” Lena cringes when she notices a few guests turn in their direction. “You should stay, just for another drink.” Lena’s eyes let Alex know that she isn’t asking, she’s begging. This is a peace offering and Alex should make the right choice and take it. But, for the first time in a long time, Alex doesn’t know what she should do. It’s her job to use tactics to find a safe route out of any situation. And if Alex is being honest, she’s a goner. Because General Lane - and whoever else he’s working with - might not have Lena’s information yet, but they have hers. 

 

“Okay.” Alex sets her empty wine glass down on a passing tray and follows Lena back to the bar. They don’t sit, they prop their elbows on the counter and lean, doing their best not to consider the fact that they’ve got giant targets on their backs. “Well, how’s this for chaos?”

 

“This? It’s a typical Thursday night for me,” Lena jokes. “You look quite dapper.”

 

“Do I?” Alex runs her fingers down her lapel and shrugs. “It’s an expensive suit. I think it’s doing most of the work for me.”

 

“No. Some people let the outfit wear them. You’re certainly wearing the hell out of that.” Lena motions for the bartender to pour them two whiskeys. “The tousled hair really does the trick.” Lena combs Alex’s hair with her fingers. 

 

“Careful. People will talk.” Lena seems excited by the prospect and she lets her hand trail from Alex’s hair to her shoulder down to her waist, where she suddenly jolts her hand back with fright. 

 

“Oh, shit.” Lena laughs. “You must be  _ really  _ excited to see me.” Lena leans closer to Alex. “You brought a gun? How did you even get it through security?” 

 

“I’m a trained DEO agent. I can pretty much figure out a way to do anything.” Alex’s eyes dip, down to Lena’s legs which are mostly covered by her dress, save for a slit that runs from her upper thigh down. “You’re packing too, apparently.”

 

“It’s a flask.” Lena cocks her head to the side. “How did you even know I had that?”

 

“As I said, I’m trained.” Alex smiles and takes a drink of whiskey. “So...I’m sorry about last night.” Alex rubs the back of her neck, trying her best to play things cool. It isn’t working. And the slight blush that runs from Lena’s cheeks down to her neck lets Alex know that playing it cool isn’t her strong suit either. “I was tipsy and you were in my apartment - looking gorgeous by the way - so...yeah, totally out of line on my part.”

 

“No, it was...nice.” Lena smiles. But then, Lena’s face immediately drops. Alex has to crane her neck to see what caused such a shift in mood. Maxwell Lord. Of course. Alex hadn’t spent a ton of time dealing with him, but he’s a fairly prominent figure in National City. Notoriously forward, egotistical, and a bit of a dick. Alex knew this couldn’t be good. 

 

“Lena Luthor!” Max exclaims with a wide grin and a firm handshake that Lena seems to be desperate not to participate in. Max turns to Alex as if he’s just noticed her. “Oh, you’ve already got a date.” 

 

“This is Alex. She works for me.” Lena deadpans, in hopes of making it seem like he will never be able to get a rise out of her. 

 

“I see. Business  _ and  _ pleasure.” Max reaches out to shake Alex’s hand, she stares at it until it falls to his side again. “I have a proposition for you.”

 

“This should be interesting.” 

 

“It is, I promise.” Max waves the bartender over and gets a whiskey for himself, trying - a little too hard, Alex thinks - to fit in with them. “How do you feel about going all in on a political convention? LCorp and Lord Industry goodie bags, private after parties, the whole 9?”

 

“I’m not interested.”

 

“Really? Why not?”

 

“Because you’re a Republican and I doubt our interests overlap,” Lena explains. 

 

“Our interests are money, sweetheart, and all money is green.” Max must think he’s winning this argument because he’s all but forgotten that Alex is standing right there. When the conversation started his eyes were hovering at Lena’s lips and now they’ve gone lower. Alex should be amused that this guy thinks he has a chance with Lena, but mostly she’s just grossed out. “I’m staying at the Ritz tonight, room 801-.” Max reaches his hand forward, Alex, frankly, has no idea where it’s going to land and she doesn’t want to find out. Alex puts him in a thumb lock and pulls him down to his knees. 

 

Max’s drink goes flying. He yelps in pain. Alex is now 100% positive that she’s going to lose her job, but it is so worth it to hear Lena delightfully laugh as Max has to scramble back up to his feet. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Crazy bitch!” 

 

“I wouldn’t call her any names, if I were you,” Lena warns him. 

 

“I was trying to do you a favor,” Max snaps, his eyes darting to Lena. “Your mom has connections. She’s built a fucking empire and you with your liberal ideology...you’re going to destroy everything. Think about the consequences, Luthor.” 

 

“Take your own advice and don’t fucking talk to me like a child.” Max takes the hint and takes his drink and his pride and walks away like a wounded puppy. Alex tries to cover her smile but Lena is somehow this sweet and thoughtful woman, while also being insanely powerful and strategic. If Alex didn’t know her, she would be afraid, but she knows her. Probably more than anyone else in this city, including her mom. “Thank you for defending my honor.”

 

“It’s technically my job,” Alex says with a shrug. “By the way, your mother has been watching us this whole time. She doesn’t look happy.”

 

“She never looks happy.” Alex wishes she could fix this. It dawns on her that she should’ve seen this coming from a mile away. She remembers the memo. The one she did read which was only because Vasquez had poked her head in the lab and yelled  _ check your email, dufus, DEO’s making big moves _ . And when Alex had read the memo, she’d laughed because this was the craziest thing that had  _ ever _ happened - and they had forty aliens in containment cells. Alex distinctly remembers feeling just slightly off. Even when she’d met Lena she was both surprised by her kindness - and unsubtle determination - and surprised at her own organization. What could the DEO possibly want with her? 

 

The story was a good one. Redemption. Empowerment. Change. But the DEO had been perfectly content with staying quiet, doing what needed to be done, and the collaboration with Lena felt too frivolous. 

 

Alex had known that something was wrong. But she’d been so caught up in...belonging. This friendship. Her own desires too, probably, that she hadn’t taken the time to actually investigate. “I should go,” Alex finally says. “I don’t want to. I would seriously rather stay here with you, but...I have to take care of a few things.”

 

“All this is scary.”

 

“I know.” Alex rests her hand on Lena’s arm, squeezing it gently. “Winters is on deck, he’ll get you to safety if anything happens. Keep your burner charged, that’s how I’ll be contacting you.”

 

“Be careful, Alex.”

 

“You too.” Alex thinks about hugging her. It seems right. Natural. But instead, she stares at Lena for a moment, trying to will her to trust her. Alex disappears into the crowd a second later, using as much stealth as she can muster to avoid Maxwell Lord, Lillian Luthor, and Cat Grant - The Unholy Trinity as far as she can tell - even though Alex does have a soft spot for Ms. Grant. 

 

Alex has been weighing her options since Lucy had talked to her in the locker room. This is when her training comes in. Fight or flight, Alex was going to have to choose. If only Alex had taken her job less seriously. Shoddy files and records would make this a lot easier, but Alex had been meticulous. If she handed over those files then Sam Lane - and whoever else was involved - would have a perfect blueprint to Lena’s entire life. 

 

Was this about money? Power? Both? Alex was racking her brain, relying mainly on muscle memory to find her way home. And even when she’d parked her bike and decided that yes, she was willing to take the risk if it meant protecting Lena, it was still a terrible position to be in. How can Alex know how far Sam Lane will go if she doesn’t know what’s at stake? 

 

Alex is almost too engrossed in her thoughts not to notice that someone is at her door. Almost. But she’s quick to draw her weapon and she’s ready to fire if she needs to. “Hands up!” Alex demands. The figure is small but hooded and it’s difficult to see down the dimly lit hallway. 

 

“Relax.” Oh. It’s Lucy. “Jesus, Danvers, at fucking ease.” Alex lowers her weapon while Lucy lowers her hood. “I need to talk to you.” Lucy motions to the door. Alex pulls her keys out of her pocket and opens the door. Lucy doesn’t even wait for Alex to close the door before she throws her jacket on a chair and puts her hands on her hips. “You are playing a dangerous game.”

 

“Yeah, I’ve heard.”

 

“You went to the Gala?”

 

Alex takes off her jacket and her shoes. She grabs two glasses, her worst bottle of whiskey, and pours a drink for the both of them. “What’s the first thing they taught us in DEO training?” Alex questions. 

 

“To follow orders-.”

 

“The mission comes first,” Alex reminds Lucy. 

 

“Certainly seems like more than just a mission.” Lucy takes the glass that Alex offers but is too tense to actually drink. “It’s my obligation to warn you that the choice that you are making is directly against DEO mandate.” Alex shrugs. “Would it change your mind if the orders were coming from me?”

 

“No.”

 

“This is treason. You understand that. My father doesn’t give a shit about our history, he will hand you over and lock you up for the rest of your life.” Lucy does drink now, Alex does too.

 

“Let me ask you this…”

 

“Go ahead.”

 

“This operation, you said it was you and Hank who decided to bring Lena in. Is that true?”

 

“Yes,” Alex has seen Lucy lie, she’s good at it, but not this good. “I think.”

 

“That’s not a real answer-.”

 

“Well, I don’t...I don’t fucking know. Hank is the one who pitched it to me, but he isn’t...you know him. He’s not some nefarious fucking bastard.” Lucy leans against Alex’s kitchen island, thinking. “We were set up.”

 

“Why? By who?”

 

“You mean whom-.”

 

“Lucy!” Alex grits her teeth.

 

“Okay.” Lucy taps her chin thoughtfully. “It can’t just be my father. He’s not smart enough to play this kind of long game. Seriously, he’s an action guy and this requires at least some skill.”

 

“Whoever it was, they wanted us to buy into this. The whole plan wasn’t just about connecting us to Lena, it was about creating this whole narrative. A new beginning, something people could believe in. Pro-alien, that’s the jumping point.”

 

“But big wigs, all these powerful people...they’re anti-alien. What good would it do them for Lena to be so popular in National City if they were made out to be the bad guys?” Alex needed another drink or possibly sixty. She never felt so ill-prepared and lost in her life. 

 

And then it clicks. Two days of thoughts come colliding in Alex’s brain until she’s left with only one theory. The worst theory. “Oh fuck.”

 

“What?”

 

“Oh, my god-.”

 

“What?!”

 

“They’re going to kill her.” Alex runs her fingers through her hair. She wants to scream, she can already see her hand shaking. “Maxwell Lord, Lillian Luthor, and your father. Holy shit, don’t you see? All the PR shit, all the fucking speeches, and Instagram posts, it’s all about making Lena likable. Lovable even. The pro-alien stuff that’s the key. They wanted someone who could get everyone supporting aliens and then they’re gonna have a fucking alien kill her.”

 

“They want a martyr.” Lucy plops down onto a chair. 

 

“That’s fucking brilliant. Fucking smart as hell.” Alex sits beside Lucy. “Sam Lane gets to capture a few aliens for the army, including all the ones that humans turn in after being turned against them, Maxwell Lord gets control and power in National City, and Lillian Luthor gets everyone back on her side. Who could resist a grieving mother after all.” 

 

“I’m gonna be sick.” Lucy leans against the counter for support.

 

“You didn’t know-.”

 

“I set everything up. I’m the fucking puppet master, how could I not know what was happening?” Lucy slams her hand against the table and stands. “It’s the Society and Business press conference. That’s when they’re going to do it.”

 

“That’s in two days.”

 

“That’s why my father showed up. He’s been playing around, learning anything and everything about the aliens we have in captivity. He probably knows exactly how to set one loose.” Lucy groans. Loudly. 

“Cat Grant,” Alex says so quietly, that she might as well be whispering. 

 

“What about her?”

 

“Do you think she’s involved?” Alex asks.

 

“Unwillingly maybe. By proxy, I guess.” Alex runs through every single thing she’d done in the past few months. It all fit. All the little pieces, creating the perfect scenario for Lena to be murdered. The perfect scenario to turn an entire progressive city on its head. And it’s a domino effect. One by one the face of America would change into something unrecognizable. “What are you thinking?”

 

“They’ll kill me. I know too much.” Alex grabs her burner phone. “What kind of contacts do you have? Safe houses, I mean.”

 

“A few. Half are through the DEO, so that leaves me with significantly fewer options.” Lucy pulls out her phone, searches through her contacts. “I’ll set you up somewhere safe-.”

 

“I’m not leaving,” Alex protests. 

 

“You literally just said that they’ll kill you.” 

 

“They can try.” Lucy’s look of sheer horror lets Alex know that she’s hearing her loud and clear. “How long until your father comes after me?”

 

“Tomorrow morning. If I had to guess.” Lucy grabs a notepad and a pen from Alex’s desk drawer and returns to her seat. “We have maybe one thing going for us and that’s the fact that no one wants to be exposed.”

 

“Us? You’re going to help me?” 

 

“Duh. Obviously.” Lucy starts scribbling a few notes. “My father will check the DEO for the records first. If anything his first guess will be that you’re slacking off. Then, he’ll file a report, something minor. Maybe he’ll get a few agents to come here to  _ make sure you’re okay _ . They’ll probably search your apartment too.”

 

“The files are gone.”

 

“Where?”

 

“I had Vasquez burn them,” Alex admits. “Lucy?”

 

“Yeah,” Lucy turns to Alex and Alex smiles. Laughing off her timid vulnerability. 

 

“Do you remember when you got really drunk at Sadie’s party?” Lucy blushes, as if embarrassed that Alex remembers. The truth, though, is much easier than the lies they tried to tell themselves over the years. The truth is, Alex couldn’t forget those years even if she’d tried. “Kara and I had to carry you to my room.”

 

“Kara kept asking ' _ is she pregnant, is she pregnant _  'cause I threw up and she had been binge-watching 16 and Pregnant the week before.” Lucy has to hold her stomach, she’s laughing so hard. “What a night.” 

 

“That’s when I fell in love with you,” Lucy stops laughing, immediately. Alex had been trying to choose her words carefully, but that’s all gone out the window. “You were like...a bull in a china shop, just so fucking...alive. I liked that. I liked the way you smiled and I liked when you punched Josh Evertt-.”

 

“He was a fucking jerk.”

 

“Fuck yes, he was. But you didn’t care. I cared, though. I was afraid of my own shadow. Not anymore.” Alex considers this. What the years between then and now have done to her. “Thank you. You taught me the things that I would never learn on my own.” Alex's mind goes to Lena. She thinks about how brave she'd been to kiss her and she hoped - in this world of dwindling hope - that she might get the chance to kiss Lena again. 

 

“Like how to be brave and crazy enough to commit treason?”

 

“Yes, like that.” Alex pours them each another glass of whiskey. “So...I have a plan. Kinda. It’s not very good but on the off chance we survive, we might actually be able to flip this whole shit show on its head.” Alex takes the notepad from Lucy. “Okay, how do you feel about riding a motorcycle?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew...here we go. It's about to get real. I didn't actually mean to make this as thriller-esque as it is, but it's so much fun to write. Let me know what you think!
> 
> Question of the day: what is the most obscure ship that you love?


	5. Chapter 5

Lena doesn’t want to go to work. She doesn’t want to do anything except call Alex and get an update, but she chooses patience instead. If something was really wrong then Alex would tell her, right? Besides, work did seem like the safest place right now. Lena had resigned herself to fighting through the hangover and doing everything in her power to change her routine. She woke up twenty minutes earlier than usual, took a different route toward LCorp and even stopped at that tiny little store that Alex had taken her to in order to get that coveted hangover cure. “Long night?” It’s Niko, the same charming guy who had taken a selfie with her the night she and Alex came here.

 

“Yeah. Sort of.” He smiles, wide. He’s playing on his phone, baseball cap covering his messy hair. 

 

“Then it’s on the house.”

 

“No, I’ll pay,” Lena insists. 

 

“Any friend of Alex is a friend of mine.” He holds his phone out toward her. A Tinder profile is staring back. “Do you think I have a chance with her?”

 

“Sure.” Niko looks rather pleased with himself. He swipes and they match and suddenly he’s holding his hand up toward Lena. They high-five awkwardly and Niko busies himself with creating the perfect first message to send his potential date. “Congrats,” Lena mutters as she’s opening the door. 

 

“Yo, Dame Luthor,” Lena rolls her eyes at the nickname. “You should swipe right on Alex, she’s a good one.”  _ I know _ , Lena thinks as she gets back into her car and heads to work where she’ll have to go through the entire day pretending like imminent danger isn’t hanging over her head. Jess is standing in front of her office when she arrives. A woman with a crew cut is standing next to her carrying a bunch of wires and a laptop. They’re chatting, they look comfortable, this is apparently Jess’s IT friend. 

 

“Lena!” Jess exclaims dramatically rushing toward her. 

 

“What? Is something wrong?”

 

“Someone broke into your condo.” Jess opens Lena’s office door and ushers Lena and this other woman inside. Jess quickly closes the door behind them and starts wringing her hands as she waits for Lena to settle down behind her desk. “Lena!”

 

“I heard you,” Lena replies. “Um...sorry, who are you?” The other woman looks up, a cord drops to the ground, and Lena continues to wait. “You work for the DEO, right?”

 

“Yes. I’m...Agent Vasquez, we’ve…” Agent Vasquez holds out her hand. “We actually met once before.”

 

“Right. Been a little frazzled lately.” Lena watches Vasquez begin working on the wiring near Lena’s router. “I meant more like...what are you doing  _ here? _ Now.”

 

“Just your basic firewall stuff. Um…” Vasquez stage whispers, “Orders from Danvers.” 

 

Jess looks between Lena and Vasquez for a long moment, unsure. Lena sets some file son her desk with the full intention of doing some busy work in order to avoid thinking about the fact that she had just been at her condo. “Lena, I think you should go talk to the police. You need to find out what happened.” 

 

“It’s complicated.” Lena doesn’t want to lie to Jess but she doesn’t even know what’s going on, how is she supposed to explain it to someone else? “I need to focus on my speech. I’m sure my mother and God knows who else will be on my ass about it.” 

 

“You’ve already written it. You should take a break,” Jess suggests. “Or, at least...maybe you can stay at my apartment for a few days?” Lena’s eyes dart to Jess. This is the kind of thing that Jack would offer and it comes as a shock. It’s so genuine and kind and thoughtful. If Lena wasn’t so scared, she might actually cry. “It’s small but cozy. Plus I have every streaming service known to man.”

 

“Known to  _ wo _ man,” Vasquez corrects earning a good-natured laugh from Jess. 

 

“Jess, that’s so sweet. If you really mean it…”

 

“Of course, I do!” Jess nods enthusiastically. “And I’ve got a great recipe that I’d love to test out on you.” Jess stands with a little more pep in her step. “Should I drive you? Or is that against the rules?” 

 

“I...I don’t know, actually. I'll contact someone from my security team and they’ll let us know.” Tiny little Jess with her enthusiasm, joy, and big heart should be doing absolutely nothing for Lena’s sense of safety, but somehow Jess’s tiny little wave makes Lena think that things might actually turn out alright. She’s grasping at straws but not having Alex there is causing Lena to go into a mild panic mode. Her mother, shockingly, hasn’t even called her today, so Lena is almost certain that something is very wrong. Vasquez stays with Lena in the room for most of the day. She doesn’t chat, she just pretends to be working while she remains ready to protect Lena at all costs. 

 

Lena does look at her speech. She’s nervous but proud of how far she’s come. Lena cares. She cares about this stuff with her whole heart. She wants to make this world a better place and even if everyone is against her she’ll still fight. She thinks Alex knows this. She hopes so at least. 

 

After the easiest day of her whole career, Lena is whisked away to Jess’s apartment. Tidy, warm, and almost immediately filled with mouthwatering spices toasting away in a pan. Lena feels like she’s on a vacation. With a glass of wine in hand, all Lena really has to do is sit there and watch and listen. Jess looks happy here. Almost beaming. It had been a big choice for them both to move out here. Jess had been waiting to take big steps on her own. Lena had promised her a safe place to land and room to grow. This year Jess would continue being her secretary but next year, Lena would open up a position in the non-profit engagement sector and Jess would be in charge. Jess doesn’t know this yet but Lena is eager to watch her grow because Lena knows Jess can handle anything. 

 

“So...tell me about what’s been going on with you.” 

 

Jess looks up from the cutting board. She’s wearing this adorable sweater with a dog printed on the front of it. When they’d first gotten there, she’d made Lena change out of her stuffy business wear and gave her these blue and yellow boxers that matched hers. “Um...nothing?”

 

“I mean…” Lena leans against the counter. “What’s the deal with Vasquez?” 

 

“Oh.” Jess blushes. “Nothing, nothing.” 

 

“Please tell me.” Lena sets her glass down, latches on to Jess’s sweater and tugs until they both break out into a ridiculous fit of laughter. “I saw her like all checking you out and shit.” 

 

“OHMYGOD!” Jess dumps a bunch of veggies into a pan and gives them a good stir. “Okay, so...when you first started working here, Vasquez kept  _ forgetting  _ passwords and needing to come to me for help or whatever. But I think she just wanted to talk to me.” Jess bounces around on her toes. “And then she started bringing me donuts and bagels in the morning. And then she invited me to this cat adoption event - they even had cat-shaped cookies!”

 

“Jess, you’re allergic to cats.” 

 

“Yeah, I took hella  _ Benadryl _ and basically passed out. But she brought me home and took care of me and everything.” Jess is swooning, literally. 

 

“That’s so sweet.” Lena pinches Jess’s arm. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

 

“Well...I asked her out. And we were going to go to  _ Rocky Horror _ but she kinda...cancelled? Last-minute too. And she was really vague about why.”  _ It’s because of me _ , Lena thinks. Whatever went on last night probably involved a lot of scrambling from Vasquez and Alex. 

 

“You should text her,” Lena suggests. 

 

“Do you think?” 

 

“You like her, don’t you?” Jess nods. “So text her. Please.” 

 

Jess pulls out her phone and writes at least six versions of the text before she finally settles on something and sends it. Lena thinks about the burner phone that’s sitting in her purse. She wonders what Alex is up to. It hasn’t even been a full day and Lena misses her like crazy. Lena knows there are way too many emotions involved in this. Enough emotions to drown in. “Alex kissed me.” Jess nearly drops her phone into the pan. “It’s...it’s nothing. We have good chemistry but it’s like...a giant wall comes up between us.”

 

“Did you talk to her?”

 

“We don’t have time. That’s the main thing.” Lena sighs. “It’d be different if we were two normal people.” 

 

“I see you psyching yourself out.” Jess starts plating and she has clearly been watching  _ The Food Network _ way too much. “I can’t believe you have a full-on crush. That hasn’t happened since Sam.” 

 

“We’re bringing up Sam now?”

 

“It’s just cute to see you all nervous.” Jess sets a bowl in front of Lena and joins her on the other side of the counter. “What’s Alex like? At work, she seems very reliable and kind of protective.” 

 

“She’s not a dog, Jess.” Lena laughs. “She’s mostly just: super cute, really kind, and thoughtful...or whatever.” 

 

“Sounds like your dream girl.” 

 

“Or  _ whatever. _ ” Lena decides to start eating before they really start getting into their feelings. “This is amazing!”

 

“Thank you. Now back to Alex.” Of course, Jess won’t let this go. “I’m just getting some meant-to-be vibes here. You moved across the country, an organization wants to join forces with LCorp, and Alex gets assigned as the head of your security detail?”

 

“Actually, I sort of chose her myself.” 

 

“Point proven.” Jess leans against Lena’s shoulder. “Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do.” Jess walks over and grabs Lena’s purse. “You’re going to call Alex-.”

 

“Jess…”

 

“You need to. You were all sulky and jumpy all day.” Jess rummages around in the bag and pulls out Lena’s cellphone. “Why do you have two phones?” 

 

“Long story.” Lena grabs the burner. She flips it open and dials without even thinking. Jess hurries to put the phone on speaker. 

 

“Lena?” Alex sounds out of breath when she picks up. Jess and Lena exchange a look. 

 

“Alex, hi, sorry...I...are you alright?”

 

“Totally fine. How are you?” 

 

“Good. Great.” Lena gets closer to the phone. “Nervous.” 

 

“I know. And I don’t want to leave you in the dark, but you have to trust me.” Lena does, in fact, trust Alex. Maybe a little too much. “How was the rest of your night?” 

 

“Boring.” 

 

“Sorry I couldn’t be there to beat up some more people for you.” Jess raises her eyebrows at that and Lena waves her off. “You know...I keep thinking.”

 

“Uh oh, sounds like trouble.” 

 

“It is. Always is.” There’s silence on the other end. Lena wonders if Alex is pacing, jabbing her finger against her head, trying to rid herself of the hints of fear, joy, and longing that always seems to be present between them. Lena wonders if Alex can feel her own nervousness through the phone. She imagines that, perhaps, Alex is well versed in physical and verbal cues. She probably knows what Lena is thinking long before Lena does. “If we’d just met under different circumstances...if I was just me and you were just you. I think...well, that’s what I’ve been thinking about.” Jess has - literally - fallen to the ground, covering her mouth as she squeals. Lena wants to reach through the phone and smack Alex. 

 

Lena doesn’t like hypotheticals. It hurts too much to think about what could’ve been. What Alex is saying is as much a confession as it is a dismissal. 

 

“Don’t overthink it too much.” Lena wants to ask,  _ where are you _ ? But she can’t. “Be safe, Alex.” 

 

“You too.” They don’t say goodbye before they hang up. It’d be too final and, frankly, this better not be the end. Lena doesn’t even get a chance to pick through the conversation and micromanage her own feelings. Jess has her arms wrapped around Lena’s shoulders before Lena even takes one single breath. 

 

“Lena! Lena.” Jess is positively giddy. “Alex is...she’s in love with you.” 

 

“Oh, please.” 

 

“I’m serious!” Jess releases Lena and returns to her seat but that doesn’t wipe that silly little grin that’s plastered on Jess’s face. “I can hear it in her voice. That whole ‘different circumstances’ thing. Wow.” Jess’s eyes soften. “Are you…-?” Lena doesn’t let Jess finish the question. One sharp look at Jess and the conversation ends. “Let’s watch something.” 

 

_The Great British_ _Baking Show_ is amazing. Lena and Jess watch it until they’re both yawning and almost falling asleep on the couch. They don’t bring up Vasquez or Alex anymore; instead, they talk about dream travel destinations, monthly box subscriptions, and podcasts. Jess brings out Lena’s goofiness and she feels happy and comfortable. Alex might be taking care of the tough things but Jess is doing her part too. 

 

They get into an easy mini-routine. Lena wakes up earlier than Jess and she tries her hand at making peach pancakes. They might not be ‘the best thing ever’ as Jess suggests, but Lena is happy to help out and she likes having someone around. At work, they nearly destroy LCorp’s credibility because they talk shit about a consultant while they are still on the line. Jess is quick to fix the situation and Lena is thankful that she probably won’t be getting a call from Lillian later. Lena knows that after two nights at Jess’s apartment, she’ll probably have to return home today, but not until after the press conference. 

 

Probably the second biggest of her career. 

 

Alex was officially off the radar. She’d texted the night before telling Lena “good luck tomorrow” but said that she wasn’t able to call. There were still no updates on who had broken into Lena’s apartment but her guess was someone very bad judging by the nervous look that Vasquez had given her when she asked about the incident for the third time. Agent Winters would serve as her head security guard today and the jitters were getting to her almost immediately. The drive over was quick - public square was a nice choice, she’ll give her PR team that - but Lena felt like something was very wrong. “Are you alright, Ms. Luthor?” Agent Winters asks. She wants to ask him outright:  _ am I going to die? _ Of course, he’ll remind her that he’s here to protect her, but he’s not Alex and Lena feels very alone. 

 

With a target on her back, Lena exits the vehicle. She can see the podium that’s been erected on the stage, with media personnel and citizens milling about. It’s a nice day. Warm, quiet, sunny. 

 

Too good to be true. 

 

She puts on the facade - poise, confidence, and a big smile - but for the message itself, Lena doesn’t have to pretend. Which is why when she gets to the core of her message, she doesn’t have to keep looking down at her cheat sheet. She knows this part. She’d written it and no matter how much the PR team had tried to make her stay moderate, she’d kept it in. So when she raises her head to talk about justice and harmony, she sees a giant scaly white alien barrelling right toward the stage from one block away. She wants to scream but the crowd has already started screaming for her and the sudden flurry of gunshots don’t help at all. 

 

_ He’s gonna get fired _ , Lena thinks as she catches a glimpse of Agent Winters returning fire to someone who is shooting at him from across the street. She thinks this because Winters is so focused on not dying that he doesn’t see someone in a ski mask rush on stage, stab a needle into Lena’s neck, and throw her over their shoulder. 

 

Lena wants to fight back. But she can’t. She’s suddenly very weak and drowsy and as she’s manhandled and thrown onto a motorcycle with her assailant, she absolutely knows that this is the end. Even if Alex had been prepared, this person was too fast. Weaving in and out of traffic and speeding into the back of an enclosed truck. As soon as the motorcycle comes to a quick halt, the truck takes off. 

 

“Let go of me,” Lena mumbles out. She’s placed on the ground and her assailant closes up the back of the truck before hovering over her. Lena decides that she’s going to fight. She doesn’t care how strong or skilled this person might be. She’s not going to die in the back of a grimy truck with a cheap mattress sitting on the floor. “If you touch me, I’ll kill you.” 

 

“I know.” The person says taking off their helmet and ski mask.  Alex plops down on the cot next to Lena, running her fingers through her sweaty hair. “Nice speech by the way.” Lena doesn’t know how to react. Her heart is still racing, her body is trying to come down from the initial fight or flight reaction. She latches onto Alex. 

 

“You kidnapped me, you fucking dick.” 

 

* * *

 

The safe house is a perfectly quaint little cabin ten miles from the nearest town. Alex takes her time scoping the place while Lucy and Lena awkwardly walk around the living room and eventually settle on the couch. Alex is nervous, more so than usual, but this is a delicate thing. Planning the ‘kidnapping’ was one thing, figuring out how to fix this mess was another. “Everything okay?” Lucy asks. She looks restless and just as tired as Alex feels. 

 

“All good.” Lucy nods over at the duffle bag that she'd placed on the kitchen counter. They walk over together and open it. “So, what do we have?”

 

“Two smoke grenades, pepper spray, army knife, and ammo for your weapon. This safe house isn’t on anyone’s radar but...you never know.” Lucy lifts up a false bottom in the bag revealing a stack of documents. “That’s a step by step guide for  _ if  _ we need to make this stuff public. It’ll ruin my father, Lord, and…” Lucy glances over at Lena. “Your good friend’s mommy dearest.” 

 

“This is fucking crazy.” 

 

“I know.”

 

“Are you sure you can handle going back there?” Lucy nods with all the confidence in the world. “You’re good people, Lucy Lane, no matter what anyone says about you.” 

 

“Thanks. I’ll let that get to my head.” Lucy hugs Alex and gives her a firm pat on the back before she gathers her own weapon, the keys to the truck, and waves goodbye to Lena. “You two enjoy your vacation,” Lucy says as she leaves Lena and Alex alone in a rustic little cabin in the middle of nowhere. Lena looks at Alex and waits. 

 

Alex is unsure about how to proceed. She’d gotten to just about here in her plan, she figured that once they were safe, she and Lucy would hash something out. But Lucy had her own things to take care of, namely making sure that Kara, Eliza, Lois, Vasquez, and Winters are all safe. “I guess you probably want to know what’s going on.” 

 

“That’s a start.” Lena is perched on the couch. Her makeup is perfect, her clothes are perfect, but there’s something about her eyes that tells Alex a different story. One that feels like an accusation. 

 

“I couldn’t tell you-.”

 

“You can tell me now.” 

 

“You’re right. But…” Alex takes a deep breath. “I need to set up some perimeter stuff. I haven’t been here before so I need to know the land, escape routes, things like that.” 

 

“Always on the job.” 

 

“I brought some of your things.” Alex grabs a suitcase off the ground and rolls it over to Lena. “I didn’t know what you’d want to wear but I figured casual and comfortable would be alright.” Lena watches Alex closely, they’re both fidgeting around nothing. “I shouldn’t have drugged you-.”

 

“Gee, thanks.” Lena stands, grabs her bag, and stops suddenly in the middle of the room. “You know what, Alex? I don’t like being kept in the dark about anything. Don’t act like you know what’s best for me. You should’ve said something.”

 

“I know.” Alex takes a deep breath. “Please just let me set things up. I promise I’ll tell you everything once we get settled.” It’s as sincere as Alex can be. And Lena settles for peace for just a little while. Alex is thankful. She gets the time to do what she’s good at. Details, organization, safety. Out here survival is a dangerous game. It isn’t just about their enemies, it’s about Lena and Alex staying sharp and ready. Alex knows that she’s been trained for this but for Lena, it’s going to be a tough road. Especially, when she learns the truth. 

 

This is where Alex and Lucy differed in opinion. Lucy wants everything to be over. She wants trials and jail time. Despite the things Lucy has been through, she still has a strong belief in the system. Alex, on the other hand, knows who’s in charge of things, and frankly, they were fucked. Alex knows they need time. Time for Lillian, Lord, and Sam Lane to panic. 

 

Alex knows how to be adaptable when it counts. 

 

When Alex returns, she hears the shower running. She’s thankful that, at least, Lena gets a few moments to relax alone. Alex checks the weapons, checks the fully stocked fridge, and sits down on the couch. The cabin is fairly sparse. No TV, small, and - of course - only one bedroom. At least it has running water and a fully functional kitchen, but without heat, they’ll have to rely on the freestanding fireplace that’s sitting in front of the couches. If it wasn’t for all the pressure, this would feel like a nice vacation. But Lena is here and that makes Alex feel…

 

A lot of things. 

 

Alex puts on a quarter-zip sweater and puts her gun in her holster. She busies herself with making toast and eggs. “So domestic.” Alex nearly drops the plate she’s carrying when she sees Lena standing behind her. She’s wearing a soft v-neck t-shirt, yoga pants, and pink fuzzy socks. She looks more domestic than Alex feels. “Is that for me?” 

 

“Yeah.” Alex sets the plate down in front of Lena. 

 

“Thanks.” 

 

The silence feels overwhelming. They’re both fixers but neither knows how to create a better situation out of this. “Two days ago, Lucy called me and told me that her father wanted your files. I knew something was wrong. But...the events, the way they unfolded, it made me realize that…” Alex sighs and leans back against the counter behind her. She doesn’t want to hurt Lena, but she will. There’s no way to twist  _ they want you dead _ into something that’s easy to swallow. “General Lane, Maxwell Lord, and Lillian devised a plan to get you to move to National City, make you decisively pro-alien, and have you killed.” 

 

“Fuck.” A wave of emotion washes over Lena’s face but she doesn’t crack. It hurts Alex to know that Lena has experienced so much in her life that she could take this information in stride. “So that’s why my mother showed up out of the blue and made the photographers take so many pictures of us together.”

 

“I’m sorry-.”

 

“You didn’t do anything wrong. You were there for me from day one.” Lena takes a bite of her toast. “I played right into it.” 

 

“Me too,” Alex admits. “But let’s make a fucking new game. We’re smarter than them, let’s prove it.” Lena’s smile breaks the tension in the room. They are finally free of the city, even if the situation is absurd.  Lena’s fire is something that is always there but that fire paired with those cute socks does something to Alex’s heart. 

 

“I can’t believe you lifted me so easily.” 

 

“I’m stronger than I look,” Alex says. 

 

“Oh, Jack and I scoped out your Instagram a few weeks ago, I know exactly how strong you are.” Lena takes a seat and continues on with her meal. “So...you and me...a cabin in the woods…”

 

“Sounds like trouble.”

 

“You know it.” Alex works her way through a granola bar, studies some notes, and starts a fire. “Hey, come over here,” Lena says from the kitchen. Alex rushes in with her hand holding the grip of her gun. It could be anything and she’s ready to fight if she needs to. But what she finds is Lena leaning over the sink and peering out the window. “Look at this.” Alex stands beside Lena, trying to catch a glimpse of what’s caught her attention. It’s a tiny little Cardinal fluttering between two trees playfully. “It’s so beautiful.” 

 

“City girl.” 

 

“Don’t be an ass.” Lena turns around and Alex nearly stumbles backward. They’re nose to nose and all Alex can think about is kissing Lena again. They’ve already broken all the rules. Alex has literally committed treason for the woman standing in front of her. They’re alone now, finally, and if Alex has been holding onto all these ‘what ifs’ for weeks, then she should start letting them go now. “Have I said ‘thank you’?” Lena asks so quietly that Alex almost can’t hear her over her own heartbeat.

 

“Yeah...I think so.” 

 

“You think so?” Lena grabs hold of a loop on Alex’s jeans and tugs her closer. “I’ll make sure you know  _ exactly _ how thankful I am.” Lena leans forward and in a panic, Alex turns away. 

 

“Hey...uh, wait a second.” Alex wishes she could erase that dejected look from Lena’s face, but she can’t. There’s such a thin line between “right and wrong” between them and she’s about ready to cut it in half. But...clouding her mind with a beautiful woman is the last thing Alex should be doing. She needs to stay sharp and ready. “Sorry, we...I can’t.” The only saving grace is that Alex’s phone rings at this exact moment. Alex picks up her phone and manages to make her way to the other side of the room. She’s out of reach of Lena’s hands but not far enough to avoid that pointed gaze. “Danvers.” 

 

“It’s Vasquez. News is out, PR’s spinning it as a terror group. Possibly a Cadmus faction,” Vasquez explains on the other end. “Stay underground until Lucy or I get in contact. Don’t get dead.”

 

“You either. And, Vasquez?” 

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Look out for Jess.” Alex hangs up and is met with a soft and comforting look from Lena. “You okay?”

 

“I appreciate you looking out for Jess. It means a lot to me.” 

 

“I care about you, Lena. I want us to make it out of this shit alive.” Alex knows that her feelings have clouded her judgment from the moment she met Lena. She feels things that have been buried for a long time. Alex hates the position they’re in but she is so happy that Lena is here with her. For once, Alex knows exactly who she’s fighting for and why. “You don’t deserve this.”

 

“Is that pity?”

 

“No, it’s the truth.” Alex smiles and nods over to the couch. “Can we sit? I feel like I’ve been on my toes for three days.” 

 

“That’s because you have.” Lena follows Alex to the couch but she sits on the farthest end from her, leaning against the arm of the chair. “How easy is it to turn a DEO agent?” 

 

“It’s difficult.” Alex shrugs. She’d always thought that their training was rock solid and that turning them was impossible. But General Lane walked into the building and suddenly Alex was fighting for her life against people she knew and trusted. “Supposed to be impossible.” 

 

“Well, what do you think they offered them?” 

 

“Nothing.” Alex frowns. “I mean...yeah, probably nothing.” Lena stares at her for a second and then looks down at her fuzzy socks. “We’re soldiers. Basically. We’re supposed to follow orders.” 

 

“You don’t belong there.” 

 

“Because you say so-.”

 

“Yes. Because I  _ know  _ so. The DEO is like baby steps for you, I’ve seen you run.” Lena sounds angrier than she intends to, but Alex likes it nonetheless. Something about being out here makes them both on edge. The desire to run outside and scream their heads off is present but Alex stays stuck to the couch. “And what the fuck was that in there anyway?” 

 

“In where?” 

 

“In the kitchen. Back there. Five minutes ago.” Lena huffs. “So, you get to kiss me, kidnap me, and drug me but I show interest and you-.”

 

“That’s not what happened.” Alex needs to figure out a way to say the things that need saying or Lena Luthor is going to walk right out that door and Alex will never see her again. “Sorry, I...I just didn’t want you to think that I expect something from you. You don’t owe me anything.” 

 

“Modesty will get you nowhere.” Lena kicks her feet up on the ottoman sitting in front of her. Even all pouty and cozy something tells Alex not to mess with her. Alex will have a much better chance of simply leaning back and savoring the tentative quiet for a few moments. But mostly, Alex’s mind travels down the downtown to Kara. Lucy did promise to take care of her but Alex was still worried. This is what sisters are for, they push and pull and argue but they fall into whatever rhythm had defined their youth. Eventually. Things have been a little hot and cold with Kara. At least since the awkward incident at her barcade. Alex had wanted to strangle her, actually throw her into a headlock and force her to apologize to Lena a million times. Kara was  _ never  _ like that. And something about that stubborn spark that blazed in Kara’s eyes made Alex question a lot of things. Mainly why she looked so damn protective all of a sudden. Could Kara have seen what was brewing between Alex and Lena all those weeks ago? Or had she just let her ego get the best of her? “Does your mind ever stop?”

 

“Nope. Yours?”

 

“No.” Lena tries a smile. It nearly reaches her eyes. “Well, you can tell me, if you want.”

 

“I was thinking...about my sister. She...God, I don’t know.” Alex shakes her head. “I’m put in these situations so often, I never actually considered what would happen to my family.”

 

“Alex, you should be there with her.” 

 

“I trust Lucy. I think it’s just all hitting me at once.” Alex runs her fingers through her hair. “I’ve committed treason.”

 

“For me.”

 

“Yes. For you.” Alex grabs a blanket from behind her and wraps it over her shoulders. “Can I ask you something?”

 

“Maybe.” Lena arches a brow. “Yes.” 

 

“Do you think your brother knows? About this  _ thing _ with your mom.” 

 

“If he does then I’ve hit the fucking jackpot as far as families go.” Lena puts her hair up and then lets it fall over her shoulders. She seems uneasy and fidgety like she’s trying to figure out a way to regain control over the conversations. “Can we go outside?”

 

“Can we...oh!” Alex glances toward the door. “Yeah. I think. But we should probably go together.” That isn’t the answer Lena is looking for but she makes a move like she’s going to stand. Alex follows and after a short awkward shuffle, they make it to the door where Lena tugs on Alex’s second pair of boots - which are a perfect fit. 

 

Alex feels uncomfortable being this armed out in the middle of the woods. It feels unnatural but tolerable. She lets Lena lead the way. It occurs to her, rather easily, that Lena might want this time alone, so soon Alex is ten and then twenty feet behind her. Lena looks at everything around her with a wondrous glow. She’s surprised by the beauty and then the sounds, Alex thinks. Alex watches as Lena picks up a stick and twirls it around in her hand. “If we weren’t in danger, I’d suggest we go camping out here.” Alex actually has to yell, Lena is so far ahead. But Lena waits for Alex to catch up to her before she responds. 

 

“Aren’t we already doing that?” 

 

“We’re in a cabin. That’s not  _ camping _ .” 

 

“Who knew people could be pretentious about camping.” Lena pokes Alex with the stick and grins. “If you could go anywhere, where would you go?” 

 

“Hm.” Alex ponders. “Midvale, 1999.” 

 

“Why’s that?” 

 

“Because my dad was there.” Lena looks at Alex for a long moment and Alex knows that she wants to ask. There are plenty of questions there. Not very many Alex had thought of for a while. “You know when you’re a kid, passions come and go. That year I was obsessed with books. I thought I wanted to be a novelist or something, I dunno. We finally managed to go to a convention - we drove because he was afraid of planes - and we got snowed in at this shabby motel. It was the best day of my life, seriously. Marshmallows, soda, and peanut butter for dinner.”

 

“That’s the year he died?” 

 

“No.” Alex sticks her hands into her pockets. “That was five years later. But that was the last time we really saw eye to eye.” 

 

“I feel like I’m seeing you from the other side right now.” Lena’s hand dangles near her hip and Alex briefly considers reaching out and holding it. “I could’ve just asked Lucy about all this. I wanted to.” 

 

“You would’ve gotten a fun response.” Alex laughs but barely. And she can feel her neck warming up and her hands just starting to feel clammy. Lena is gearing up to ask her something. Something bigger than she can probably handle right now. 

 

“You two were little troublemakers, I gather.” Lena tosses the stick somewhere just off the path. “In love too, obviously.” 

 

“We were kids.” 

 

“And now? Feelings don’t die-.”

 

“They fade. They have faded.” Alex reaches out to grab Lena’s arm and finally, they look at each other. Fully and honestly. “I didn’t want them to, actually. I kept her at an arm's length for a while there. Trying to make sure that nothing would happen between us because I remember...just how infatuated with her I was. But…” Alex shrugs. “Once I let her in, things were easier than I thought. She’s my friend and that’s what we should’ve always been.” 

 

“I had someone like that.” They continue walking and the cabin is no longer in sight. “Well, it wasn’t that deep, but still.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Sam.” Lena rolls her eyes. “She’s this hotshot finance manager. She works for Jack which...honestly, you should’ve seen me. Disregarding red flags like it was my fucking job.” 

 

“That bad, huh?”

 

“Nothing traumatic. Just two emotionally unavailable people trying to commit to something.” It’s getting colder outside. The leaves are just at that point where they’re threatening to change and everything is starting to remind Alex that there are just some things that no one can control. She hopes, if nothing else, that Lena realizes that too. “We’re friends now, like you and Lucy. I think Sam didn’t like the way that I…” Lena bites her lip. “I was figuring myself out, trying to change, and grow. I didn’t want to do that self-deprecating bullshit, I actually wanted to love myself for a change.” 

 

“That’s good, it’s...wonderful.” 

 

“You sound  _ so  _ convinced.” Lena nudges Alex.

 

“Jealous, more like. A powerful and confident woman who actually loves herself? How did I get so lucky?” Lena laughs along playfully. “So…”

 

“Here we go.”

 

“Hey, you brought it up. Where’s your place? Your Midvale, 1999.” Alex almost doesn’t ask. Almost allows herself to be vulnerable for the sake of providing a safety net to Lena. Just to say  _ remember that we’re just two people in a mess of someone else’s making _ . But, Alex wants to know. She wants to know everything about Lena and she has for a long time. 

 

“National City, 2019.” They’ve made it to a lookout point. A vast expanse of trees sits below them. Miles and miles of nothing. Alex could get lost up here. If they weren’t in danger, she’d choose this spot for a tent. They’d build a fire and drink shitty beer. If only. “Lucy Lane and Hank Henshaw walk up to me in a cafe. It was the first time I’d left my hotel in two days, mind you, and I see them and think...this is the fucking end of me.” 

 

“Jesus. They should’ve sent Vasquez or Winters. At least they know how to look docile.” 

 

“Right, well…” Lena crosses her arms over her chest and takes in the sight before them. “They drove me out to the desert and all I kept thinking is that I must be cursed. And then Lucy tells me about the stupidest alliance I have ever heard of. I considered laughing in her face and then…”

 

“And then…?”

 

“And then this hot agent takes a sample of my blood.” Lena turns to see that Alex is looking right back at her. “So, thanks. For not killing me and reminding me that there’s a better world to believe in.” 

 

They walk back quietly. Lena says nothing as she watches Alex clean her weapon. She says nothing when Alex does a quick walkthrough of Lena’s bedroom. But when Alex is finally setting up the couch to make it slightly more comfortable, Lena pokes her head out of the bedroom. “You know...I think I could dig a rural life.”

 

“Oh, yeah?” 

 

“Yeah.” Lena has discarded the yoga pants. She’s just wearing the slightly oversized shirt and fuzzy socks as she walks into the room and sits down on the couch with Alex. “I like nature. Trees are nice.”

 

“ _Trees_ _are nice_ ,” Alex echoes trying to cover her smile.

 

“They are! Fuck you.” Lena nudges Alex’s leg. “I could be a farmer. I mean, I’d mostly just drink tea on my porch and cook, but you could work in the field. Tractor and all.” 

 

“I can’t believe I’m part of your insane rustic fantasyland.” 

  
“Why wouldn’t you be?” Lena asks like it’s not a big deal. “I can’t sleep, so I’m staying out here for a bit.”  _ A bit _ turns into Lena falling asleep on Alex’s thighs. She is warm and soft and though Alex never actually falls asleep, Alex thinks about how easy it would be to get used to this. On a farm or escaping sure death in the most dangerous and treasonist way, Alex can’t imagine a future where she isn’t tethered to Lena. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's good to be back! Thank you all for reading as always and now I'm going to go actually outline the rest of this fic so I don't leave you all hanging for so long again (whoops). 
> 
> But also I'm lowkey gonna go watch some WNBA games cause I'm a sporty-gay like that. What are your plans for the weekend?


End file.
